Just 15% of 999 calls to Lancashire Police are a genuine emergency

Just 15 per cent of 999 calls are a genuine emergency, Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner has revealed.
The breakdown of incidents Lancashire Police deal with on an average dayThe breakdown of incidents Lancashire Police deal with on an average day
The breakdown of incidents Lancashire Police deal with on an average day

Commissioner Clive Grunshaw spent a night in the Lancashire Police control centre to assess the type of calls coming in.

He revealed that only 15 per cent of calls involve a genuine emergency and only 19 per cent are crime related.

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Just over a third of calls received related to concerns for a person's safety and mental wellbeing.

Police and crime commissioner Clive GrunshawPolice and crime commissioner Clive Grunshaw
Police and crime commissioner Clive Grunshaw

Mr Grunshaw said: "It’s shocking that only 15 per cent of all 999 calls are a genuine 999 emergency. 85 per cent do not require an immediate response and there are on average 664 999 calls everyday.

"If you have a genuine emergency, Lancashire Police will be there when you need them. On average 999 calls are answered within 10 seconds and officers arrive within 10 minutes. Think before you call."

On an average day, Lancashire Police make 83 arrests, of which three are for sexual offences.

They also make 35 referrals for vulnerable adults - usually those with mental health problems - and 34 referrals for vulnerable children, of which four are related to child sexual exploitation.