WITH the Surrey Police Contact Centre fielding some 179,342 emergency calls in a 12-month period, it will come as little of a surprise that not all are bone fide calls for the boys in blue. While the vast majority were genuine emergencies, figures released last week show that around 11 per cent – in excess of 19,000 calls – did not require a police response and were an "inappropriate use" of the 999 system. And some of the reasoning given for calling 999 range from the sublime to the ridiculous, with punters remarking: "I've found a spider in my living room", "I've run out of beer" and "I need a taxi". Further examples of inappropriate calls include a woman who wanted police to visit to turn her water supply back on; a couple arguing over who was the rightful owner of a DVD; a young boy who called 999 and then told operators it was "for a laugh" and a woman who asked police to help because her mobile phone was not working properly. While these reasonings may well raise a smile, Surrey Police are reiterating to its residents that emergency calls are no laughing matter. What's more, they should only be made when someone is in danger or a crime is in progress, and when an incident is likely to cause serious public disruption or if a serious crime such as rape or GBH has occurred. Superintendent Sue Lampard was grave enough to tell the people of Surrey that the system should not be abused, and above all, 'lives matter'. She said: "The 999 system is there for people who are in genuine emergency situations and need assistance. "By misusing it you are tying up emergency lines and preventing other people from getting through, and ultimately this could end up costing someone their life. "We are asking the public to act responsibly and only call 999 for the right reasons. Every call we receive has to be answered by our call handlers and prank, abandoned, or inappropriate calls put an unnecessary strain on resources." Complaints about noisy neighbours, lost dogs, and noise nuisance account for around 6,000 of the inappropriate 999 calls made in the past 12 months. And a further 13,696 were abandoned calls – often made from mobile phones whose owners have forgotten to lock the keypad and dialled 999 accidentally, or from young children playing with a telephone. Many problems which take up a great deal of police time should be dealt with by other agencies or local authorities. To help members of the public direct their query to the right place Surrey Police has re-designed the contact page on its website with advice on common queries such as noisy neighbours, lost pets and problems with internet trading sites like eBay. The new contacts page also shows other ways to contact police with queries including by e-mail, post and text message. So, please think when you call 999. It should only be used in a genuine emergency requiring the attendance of the police. For up-to-date news see Surrey Police's website at http://www.surrey.police.uk">www.surrey.police.uk.
