Police receive over one thousand three hundred 999 calls over Christmas

Greater Manchester Police is appealing to the public to only call 999 in an emergency after the Force received 1377 999 calls over Christmas.

Of all the 999 calls made between midday Christmas Day and midday Boxing Day only a fraction were actual emergencies.

GMP’s head of call handling Superintendent Karan Lee said: “Following the introduction of new telephony technology earlier in the year we are now answering calls in an average time of five seconds for 999 emergency and 15 seconds for the non emergency calls. However we are still expecting a high volume of 999 calls on New Years Eve.

“Research tells us that a very high percentage of these will not actually be related to an emergency. I urge people to think first and only dial 999 in an emergency, where there is threat to life or property, so that we can focus on the real emergencies. If you do have to call us, please be patient and appreciative that there may be some delays in answering your calls.

“New Year's Eve is the Force's busiest night, and we are now preparing to receive thousands of emergency calls and silly pranks can have a major impact on members of the public who need the police. I don’t want a person to call 999 and be delayed because someone else is calling to report something that is not an emergency or, worse still, a deliberate joke.”

Last new year GMP’s call handlers dealt with more than 2400 emergency calls in just six hours after midnight, and thousands more were taken on the Force’s non-emergency number.

The following are some examples of calls received by GMP's operational communications staff in the 48 hours between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day:

• Male contacted 999 to say he was stuck on a patch of ice in a street and was to scared to go forwards or backwards. 
• Female contacted 999 to report her cat was playing with string and it was 'doing her head in'.

People should ring 0161 872 5050 for anything that’s not an emergency or to report a crime, and to ring their Neighbourhood Policing Team with any concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour in their local area.

To ensure each emergency call is answered quickly, they will all be appropriately graded and allocated with the correct resources to ensure people's evenings pass off safely. Call handlers have to establish the nature of an emergency call and then direct it accordingly – offering support and advice. These calls are taken under what are often extremely stressful and challenging circumstances.