POLICE WATCH: More than 200 999 calls every hour (From Warrington Guardian)

POLICE WATCH: More than 200 999 calls every hour

10:14pm Friday 30th October 2009 in News

THE pressure is tangible among the team of call handlers in Cheshire Police HQ as they deal with emergency after emergency.

With Mischief Night - a renowned time of trouble and anti-social behaviour in Widnes - the call handlers expect to be busier than usual tonight.

A standard day brings between 1,200 calls across the county but during nights like tonight those calls soar to up to 1,900.

From serious crimes such as people reporting sexual offences, intruders, domestic violence, road smashes, missing persons and potential suicide victims to the bizarre time wasting calls asking how to cook a turkey, the call centre is never quiet.

The handlers are split into teams dealing with emergencies, non-emergencies and historic crime reporting - of offences that have already taken place such as burglaries overnight or car crime.

The emergency calls are graded from one to three where one requires an immediate police response within 15 minutes, two sees officers with the caller within the hour and three is gauged as a slow response.

Overseeing the two rooms are the supervisors and inspectors whose decisions on where and when to deploy officers can mean the difference between life and death.

Read Thursday's Warrington Guardian to find out more.