Police advise public to only dial 999 in an emergency

Police advise public to only dial 999 in an emergency

Greater Manchester Police is appealing for the public’s help as they countdown to one of the busiest nights of the year.

Between midday on Christmas Day and midday on Boxing Day the Force received 1287 999 calls and only a quarter of these calls were real emergencies. Staff are now bracing themselves for another busy night and although measures have been put in place to deal with the increased demand, police are appealing for residents only to call 999 in an emergency.

Superintendent Karan Lee from Greater Manchester Police’s call handling branch said: “New Year is one of the busiest nights for the Force and I am appealing for members of the public to only call 999 in an emergency.

“Last year we took 2281 999 calls in just the first six hours of the New Year and we are expecting similar volumes this year.

“People should only call 999 if a life is at risk, somebody is being physically threatened, a crime is currently happening or there is a road traffic accident causing danger or injury to others.  For all other calls people should ring 0161 872 50 50 or contact their local neighbourhood policing team.

“We wish everybody in Greater Manchester a safe New Year but if you do need our help please be assured that the majority of emergency calls are answered within five seconds and the call handler will be able to direct officers to help you.

“The call handler will need to know what and where the incident is happening in a split second under what can be stressful and challenging circumstances. To assist our call handlers and reduce the time it takes for help to arrive and arrests to be made, please provide information such as landmarks, street names and details of the offender if known.”