WEST Mercia Police has the third slowest call response times across forces in the UK, new data analysis has revealed.
The average response time is 18.47 seconds for the force, according data gathered by personal injury firm experts from Claims.co.uk from March 2023 to February 2024.
The force recorded its worst response times in September 2023, with an average time of 28.58 seconds.
Comparatively, the fastest response times were from call handlers with Lincolnshire Police, who averaged just 7 seconds.
The slowest call response times across forces in the UK came from Bedfordshire Police with an average of 30.33 seconds.
Bedfordshire Police were even recorded as taking over one minute (61.34 seconds) on average to answer calls in June 2023.
Nearby West Midlands Police averaged a call response time of 9.23 seconds over the same period.
A spokesperson from Claims.co.uk has commented on the findings: ”The time it takes for the police to respond to a 999 call is crucial – the longer the caller waits, the higher the risk of harm and danger to the individual.
“While it’s great to see that the average call response time for the top ranking forces is under ten seconds, those that rank at the bottom will likely be concerning to locals.”
“However, the slowest response times should not instigate doubt on the perseverance and effort of police forces throughout the UK, as it instead suggests that the bottom-ranking forces are understaffed; these areas perhaps need more funding so that they can offer as much support as possible to residents of their areas.”
