West Midlands Police has made significant strides in reducing the time it takes to answer emergency 999 calls, reflecting a strong commitment to improving public safety and service.
A recent report presented to the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner’s (PCC) Accountability and Governance Board revealed substantial improvements over the past two years. During the year ending March 2026, the force answered 99.9% of the 731,379 emergency calls received, nearly perfect compliance with the national 10-second answering standard. This compliance rate jumped to 97%, up from 92.9% in 2024. Impressively, the average time to answer a 999 call dropped from five seconds in 2024 to just two seconds in 2026.
The number of calls abandoned after waiting over 10 seconds plummeted by 86.3%, decreasing from 651 to only 89 calls. This highlights improved call handling efficiency and responsiveness.
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The progress extends to the non-emergency 101 service as well. In the year ending March 2026, West Midlands Police answered 96.8% of the 838,180 101 calls. The proportion of calls answered within the three-minute national target surged from 75.5% in 2024 to 95.7% in 2026. Additionally, the average wait time dropped dramatically from two minutes and 14 seconds to just 30 seconds. The number of calls abandoned after three minutes also fell sharply from 36,091 to 4,424.
At the recent Board meeting, West Midlands PCC Simon Foster praised the “significant improvements in 999 and 101 performance, including faster response times and fewer abandoned calls.” He also questioned what operational changes and investments had driven this success and how the force intends to sustain it amidst increasing demand.
Acting Chief Constable Scott Green attributed much of the improvement to a new predictive software system introduced in recent years. This technology forecasts demand using factors like bank holidays, football season endings, and weather conditions, enabling the force to deploy the right number of call handlers and dispatchers to meet anticipated call volume.
Despite these advances, Chief Constable Green acknowledged ongoing challenges with recruitment and retention of contact centre staff. The force is actively recruiting to maintain progress. He highlighted West Midlands Police’s consistent ranking among the national top 10 for 999 call performance, as well as the 101 service’s average answer time of under one minute and a 90% rate of attending immediate incidents within 15 minutes.
“The achievements we have made are a source of pride,” Green said, “and while maintaining these standards is challenging, we remain fully committed to providing fast, effective responses to the public.”