Cambridgeshire Police are urging the public to help free up busy call-takers by only picking up the phone when they really need to.
The force has launched a “Call When it Counts” campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the challenges call handlers face and encourage the public only to call the police when necessary.
It will inform people about when to call 999 or 101 and when it is better, if possible, to report online.
On average, the force receives a 999 call every three to four minutes and a call to 101 every one to two minutes.
This equated to 245,535 non-emergency 101 calls and 146,892 emergency 999 calls in the past year.
However, a large proportion of those calls could have been dealt with using online reports or live web chat, freeing up call handlers for serious emergencies.
999 should be called if a serious offence is in progress, someone is in immediate danger or harm, the property is likely to be damaged, or a serious disruption is likely.
101 is for non-emergencies, but live chat and online reports are recommended if you can access online services.
Live web chats and online reports are the easiest and often the most time-effective way of getting in touch with the force.
Online reports can be used for non-urgent issues such as fraud, bribery, missing people, road traffic incidents and antisocial behaviour.
Live chat can be used any time by clicking the green icon on the force website. The average response time is just 72 seconds.
Contact your local council for noise (within a residence), litter, busking, fly-tipping or minor traffic issues.
Superintendent Mike Branston, Head of Demand, said: “If there is an emergency, we want people to call us confident in the knowledge that we will respond quickly.
This is why we want to free up our call takers to deal with serious incidents by asking people with non-emergency inquiries to use our website, where there is a wealth of information to assist.
“They may be directed to a more appropriate service or could use our online reporting service or webchat as an alternative to calling 101.”
Find out more about the best ways to contact the police on the force website.
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