MORE THAN 8,000 emergency calls to Thames Valley Police in June were made in error.
That was a 20% increase in the previous month and now the public are being asked to think before they dial.
Between April 1 and June 30, Thames Valley Police received on average 1,200 calls to 999 a day. The majority were through the 999 number and were genuine emergencies.
However, in some instances people find themselves in a situation and don’t know who to call, so they dial 999 hoping to be pointed in the right direction, or genuinely thinking this is the correct number. On other occasions, we have people deliberately wasting our time.
Superintendent Matt Bullivant of Thames Valley Police’s Contact Management said: “Every summer we see a rise in the number of calls we receive and this year is no different.
“This is due to longer days, more people being out and about enjoying the weather and increased tourism.
“Our call handlers are here to help when you need it most, dealing with hundreds of calls each day from across the Thames Valley.”
He continued: “Help us keep 999 lines clear for your emergencies. Only call 999 if there is a danger to life, a crime is happening at that time, or has just happened, you have immediate concerns for safety or you see something suspicious that needs immediate attention.
“In all other situations, there are other ways to contact us either online, via 101 or report at one of our stations.
“If you do dial 999 by mistake, please don’t hang up, just let us know it was an accident and that you don’t need assistance, we will need to make checks that you are genuinely OK, and it will save valuable time for the call handler, who can then answer a genuine emergency call. “Please be respectful of staff if they direct you to an alternative method of contacting us. They will need to close the call quickly so they can reach genuine emergencies.”
