Commissioner hails ‘dramatic improvements’ as Surrey Police becomes second-fastest at answering 999 calls

Lisa Townsend praised the police officers and staff behind a slew of significant changes, which have seen the force climb national league tables for 999 call answering times.

It comes as His Majesty’s Inspectorate for Constabulary & Fire lifts its ‘causes of concern’ for Surrey Police after an inspection in late 2023.

During the inspection for the Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy (PEEL) review, issues around the service residents receive when they contact their police were highlighted.

In the time since the review, the operation of Surrey Police’s Force Command Centre and the Contact and Transformation Command – both based at force HQ in Guildford – have been overhauled.

As a result of the changes, officers now attend the most serious calls for service – known as a Grade 1 response – within 13 minutes. This is seven minutes quicker than the 20-minute national standard.

Non-emergency calls made to 101 are now answered three minutes faster than a year ago, with an average answer time of 12 seconds – down from 3.4 minutes in December 2024. Call abandonment rates have dropped from 36 per cent to seven per cent.

999 calls are answered in an average of two seconds, rather than five, handled faster, and the call abandonment rate has dropped to just two per cent.

The force is now the second-fastest in the country when it comes to answering 999 calls.

Police & Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend said: “I am absolutely delighted with the dramatic improvements Surrey Police has made since our 2023 PEEL review.

“It is fantastic news that the average waiting time for a 999 call in Surrey is now just two seconds, and that the Force is the second-fastest in the country to answer these emergency calls.

“These improvements are not only significant but sustained, and the force’s progress continues to this day.

“I know from speaking to residents that being able to get hold of Surrey Police when you need them is absolutely vital and a call into our force Command Centre can be a matter of life or death.

“Since I recruited Chief Constable Tim De Meyer three years ago, a key priority for both us was making sure that when the Surrey public need police, they receive the quick and effective response they rightly expect.

“I’d like to thank every officer and member of staff who has worked tirelessly to achieve this turnaround and deliver the results we are seeing for Surrey’s residents.

“Their efforts make a real difference to those facing some of the most challenging moments of their lives.”