Call for probe into 999 delays (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Call for probe into 999 delays

10:09am Wednesday 21st March 2001

Croydon North MP Malcolm Wicks is urging police to investigate delays experienced by Croydon's 999 callers.

Croydon callers are facing delays because of a manpower crisis at Scotland Yard's call centre.

Mr Wicks said: "I've had a number of complaints about this in the past.

"I can remember a time when I saw some lads kicking a phone box. I tried to ring 999 and never had any response.

I am going to write to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner to ask him for a full investigation."

Superintendent Peter Gibbons said: "There has been a difficulty with recruiting people at command control."

He added: "To cope with the volume of calls, police as well as civilian operators are being brought in to help, provided they are not needed at their existing control rooms."

999 callers are put through to a New Scotland Yard operator by BT who takes their details and puts them through to the appropriate area control room.

The Metropolitan Police Authority were planning to bring in a private company to manage 999 calls but three-year talks with a company were abandoned last month.

But operators who feared a change in management began leaving their jobs, fuelling the current recruitment crisis.