What is the longest time anyone has had to wait to get through to the police with a non emergency call?
A neighbour had damage to their car the other night (6.00pm) and was on the phone for 45 minutes and still had not got through to anyone after speaking to the person who origianlly took the call.
The people who damaged the car had been followed all the time and the person following was also trying for over 40 minutes trying to get through.
This is the third time in the last couple of months that people have waited for long periods.

I attended a Neighbourhood Crime Watch meeting last night, where the audience complained about the Atlas Court police number not being answered for ages. The senior Police Officer at the meeting admitted there are still major faults with this non-emergency number. The police continue to try and remedy the situation. Some improvements have been made, but still some way to go. I waited 40 mins in the peak period of late Sat night/early Sun morning before the number was answered - to report an abandoned stolen car near where I live. Suggest you ring 999 next time.

I called the police the other day - I wanted them to come and remove a drunk who was sat outside shouting abuse at passers-by. I phoned 2202020 and spoke to an operator, who put me on hold. I was on hold for 10 minutes before giving up - I phoned the city centre ambassadors instead who answered the phone promptly and came and removed the lovely gentleman straight away.

I know in an emergancy I could dial 999, but being on hold when calling the police about any matter is not acceptable.

Having said that - credit to South Yorkshire Police where it's due - when we did have a real emergancy recently, they were present within a couple of minutes of my colleage dialing 999.

I only had to wait for 25 minutes (but then I gave up). This happened twice about a week apart. A week later I did get through (22 minutes) and requested assistance (not life threatening - hence no 999 call) and no one came after 2 hours. Each call was at about 7pm. The waiting times are exact - I looked them up on the mobile bill.
I also went to a Neighbourhood Watch meeting where I referred to this wait and was told I should understand that the police have computer problems. Er, so that's alright then???

My wife gave up after 45 mins.

Not good, Mr Plod, the criminals around here are laughing at you!

999 gets me through quickly every time. Its rather commendable actually, although I do tend to get a harsh response to my question......

"what time is the next 75 bus? as I am late for work"

After witnessing a road accident not so long ago I phoned 999 and it took 20 minutes for Ambulance and Police to arrive. Granted is was rush hour.

Used it twice recently to report theft and criminal damage and got through after about 20 rings. I only report this stuff so it shows up on the crime statistics. Don't expect for a minute that anything will get done.

We are having trouble in our village at the moment with young kids who are upsetting all the local residents. We have been asked by our comunity police man to report any incidents on the 2202020 number.

We were invited to a meeting recently and everyone who attended (over fifty villagers....small village) complained about getting through. Regularly we wait 45 to 60 minutes and on one occasion we waited 1HOUR and TWENTY MINUTES!!!!!

Admitedly on most occasion's we dont want a police officer to attend, we only want them to log the call for the records so as to stop them coming to the next meeting and saying there has been no reported crime.

I think though it is also proper to report the best response we have had as well as the worst.

One night last year our new Cheif Constable, not long after starting deceided to go on patrol with Rotherham police one eveining to show the troops how he was "one of the lads".....you know tyhw thing, where the boss turns up pretending to be one of the boy's but never quite carrying it off.

So any way the night that the gaffer is on patrol we got through with in three minutes if that , repoted this group of kid's causing trouble, drinking, throwing stuff at passing vehicles and attempting to dismantle a bus shelter. Within a minute of the call a passing dog van stopped at the bus shelter and spoke to the kids.

Minutes later the dog van was back with a C.I.D car a area car and panda car as well.

Out of the area car comes the gaffer and seeing that he had an audience accross the road of watching villagers he promtly arrested a teenager for giving him lip.

Moments later the pantomime had gone the kids had dispersed and we were told by the dog handler that it would be quiet for a week or so now the ring leader had 'got done'.

The night after they were all back doing the same stuff but the police wernt.

Check this (http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/safe--sound/tackling-anti-social-behaviour/its-your-call) out as a new initiative for reporting anti-social behaviour.
Note that it is for reporting only (office hours) and not for a police response.

we got a leaflet through our door other week about that new initative to stop antisocial behaviour and all other stuff, there was a number to ring and report it.

we've had our house egged a few times by sum kids who live at the house over the road n they are always being a nuisance, drinking n shouting n causing trouble n loud music.

but if we report them its not gonna stop them, the police cant arrest them n send em to prison for it n thats the only way to stop it! chances are if we report it and maybe a copper comes round n "has a word" then we'll just be the focus of their behavior more & more!

Litter, rubbish and fly-tipping
Abandoned vehicles
Nuisance neighbours
Intimidation and harassment
Rowdy behaviour
Groups hanging around
Street drinking
Aggressive begging
Crack houses and drug dealers
Prostitution and kerb crawling
Graffiti and vandalism


appart from drugs does anyone ever get arrested for all the others?

That bluddy call centre is a nightmare :rant:

Twice now it has taken over half an hour for the call to be relayed to local officers and the culprit has strolled off.

I rang with a full description and plate for a vehicle that demolished a bus stop and drove off, but the officers were offhand with me because they believed I gave no info :confused: They were well brassed off when they heard the rest, and why they didn't have it :mad:

And one cow on there (she was, honest) accused me of making a hoax call. If it wasn't for the girl I belived was in imminent danger, I would have hung up. :mad: :rant:

I rang back and didn't complain, but asked the supervisor to listen to the call as I was concerned about her telling me her key skills when she could have been taking crime details. That'll be raised in her anual review, if not before :rolleyes:

This is a little off topic but relates to that call centre.

A fornight ago my other half reported some graffiti on the bus shelter accross the road.

She told the operator that although she had seen a gruop of kids in the shelter the night before she did not know any of them and the only discription she could give was very vauge.

The same night at about 9:30 the phone rang and the lady from the police asked if two officers could come round for a statment. "Of course" we said " but not now as we'll be off to bed in a bit"
"Oh no problem they will be there tomorrow night"
No one came and at 10:00pm the phone rang. The lady had called to tell us that no one had come and that they would be there tomorrow.

No one came.

The next night they phoned from the call centre and we told them not to bother as we were off out and most importantly like we had said every other time they phoned we had no more information to tell them other than that which we had already given.

A day or two latert two bobbies turn up in a car for a statement from Mrs Dary. She again told then what she had told the lady on the phone and they looked at her in a funny way and said " Thats the same information as you give the call handler"

Mrs Dary expained that she had told her that is was a waste of time the police calling out and the agreed and left.

What a waste of time and effort on both our parts.

They could have been dealing with something more important else where but for the incompitance of the call centre.

P.S. We rang the bus shelter people at the S.Y.P.T.E and they came within the hour and cleaned the shelter....Now theres service for you!!

You're all confusing the police with people who actuall give a damn

I cannot believe how some of you will sit on a phone for over 30mins, and sometimes over an hour! :loopy:

Just call the 999 number, tell them that there must be a hold up in their call centre or something! :heyhey:

Seriously though, if I saw any of the things described I'd just ring 999. It's not the public's fault that we no longer have a large enough police force to cope with the crime being committed.
If they have a problem with the incident not being 'serious' enough, then ask them to pass it on to their call centres...

Originally posted by Briano
Seriously though, if I saw any of the things described I'd just ring 999. It's not the public's fault that we no longer have a large enough police force to cope with the crime being committed.
If they have a problem with the incident not being 'serious' enough, then ask them to pass it on to their call centres...

And possibly be the cause of a delay in a life threatening situation?

999 is for EMERGENCIES only, so what if you have to wait half an hour.

Originally posted by scottf
And possibly be the cause of a delay in a life threatening situation?

999 is for EMERGENCIES only, so what if you have to wait half an hour.

In that 30mins something minor could quite easily escalate into a life threatening situation... then who would shoulder the blame for not notifying the police quickly enough!?

Originally posted by Briano
In that 30mins something minor could quite easily escalate into a life threatening situation... then who would shoulder the blame for not notifying the police quickly enough!?

Well in that case if it does escalate you should ring the number straight away. You can't use the number 'just in case' it might.

Originally posted by scottf
Well in that case if it does escalate you should ring the number straight away. You can't use the number 'just in case' it might.

Err, yes I can.

well you can but i think its very irresponsible of you.


ah well, each to there own i guess.

The police in Sheffield are pretty useless. I was assaulted about 100 yards from my doorstep about 6 months ago. My friend called the police and it was 5 days until a police officer came round to take a statement. Pretty pathetic really!