Hampshire police tackle 'high' number of calls at the weekend with 1,800 made in one day

At the weekend, the county’s force used social media to warn that they were experiencing high demand and that people should check that they were calling the appropriate contact number.

Today they have revealed that operators dealt with 872 emergency calls via 999 and 1,015 non-emergency calls on Sunday.

Detective Superintendent Fiona Bitters said the call volume was ‘high’ but it did not exceed forecasts.

She said: ‘The call volume changes on a minute-by-minute basis and the purpose of our messaging was to warn the public in advance in case call volumes increased further, which could potentially lead to delays in answering non-emergency calls as we will always prioritise our 999 call handling capability.’

The police plans to regularly remind people of the best ways to contact them, including directing people to online reporting.

The detective superintendent said: ‘Throughout the summer period, we often see an increase in the number of people getting in touch with us to report a crime. We are taking this opportunity to ensure our communities understand the benefits of online reporting, how and when it should be used, as well as dispelling any myths around how online reports are dealt with.

‘People should continue to dial 999 in an emergency, if a life is in danger, or if a crime is in progress. Non-emergency calls can also be made by calling us on 101 or by reporting these incidents online.’

Last year saw police control room staff take down details using pen and paper when part of a £39m new 999 system collapsed.

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