Calling Northumbria Police's non-emergency number has become a 'waste of time', according to councillors who fear residents are struggling to report crimes due to increased delays. Politicians this week highlighted that the 101 line is failing the public, with average answer times rising to four minutes in the 12 months to March 2026, up from two minutes and 42 seconds the previous year, despite a 2% drop in call volume.
The number of 999 calls increased by 6% over the same period, with average answer times rising slightly from four to five seconds. Northumberland Conservative councillor Gordon Stewart told a Police and Crime Panel meeting in Gateshead that the public 'think calls are not being taken quickly enough' and are hanging up, adding: 'The fear is that people are not reporting incidents because there is no police response.'
Jeff Smart, a newly-elected Reform UK councillor in Gateshead, said he advises residents not to call 101 'because it is an utter waste of time' and suggested scrapping the service, redirecting resources to 999 calls. He noted that despite calling 999 about 35 times since January regarding motorcycle anti-social behaviour, he received no updates until he became a councillor. 'What I get back from residents is that it is a waste of time phoning because nothing happens and they don't get updated,' he said.
Susan Dungworth, the Labour Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria, admitted that 101 is the 'least effective way of communicating' due to call volume. She urged people to use social media or online reporting instead of calling 999 for non-emergencies, stressing that 999 calls should be reserved for genuine emergencies. 'I would really resist calling 999 for things that are not an emergency. That is just delaying the time that a genuine 999 call is getting answered,' she said.
When asked about writing to the Government, Dungworth said there was 'no point', as Northumbria is 'in no different position to any other force in the country'. Northumbria Police encouraged the public to use social media direct messages, live chat, or online report forms for non-emergency matters, and offered a callback service during peak times. A spokesperson stated: 'We pride ourselves on offering a number of ways to contact us regarding non-emergency matters... We're already receiving thousands of contacts each week across our online channels.' The force noted that 999 calls will always be prioritised and that they are recruiting and improving technology to enhance service.
