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May 2023

Crime

Public asked to "think" before dialling 999 after increased demand

Published: 28 May 2023, 20:39 BST

by Tamsin O'Brien

North Yorkshire Police have asked people to "stop and think" before dialling 999 for non-emergencies after a significant increase in demand over the past two days.

The force said a combination of good weather, the start of half term and an influx in visitors to the county have resulted in a rise in calls to its control room.

The advice is to call 999 for an emergency and for non-emergency matters contact the police through its website or call 101.

If someone accidentally dials 999, the advice is to stay on the line. In a “pocket dial” situation the force said its 999 operator will pass the call to the control room. The call handlers will then ring the number back to establish whether it is a genuine emergency.

Superintendent Fiona Willey, head of customer contact said:

"The staff in our Force Control Room are working extremely hard to deal with the increased demand.

"The sunny weather will inevitably lead to more calls so we’re urging the public to consider if their call is necessary and if it’s a non-urgent matter, could it wait until after the weekend.

“It’s also important that members of the public consider which service they need. There are many agencies out there that can offer help and support.

“If it is a genuine emergency then we are here to help. Our staff are trained to triage every call through a threat, risk and harm assessment which leads to that call being prioritised accordingly."

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