High volume of calls being received

Greater Manchester Police, along with other emergency services nationally, is experiencing an incredible volume of calls coming into the control room from members of the public, and we need your help.

We are at a unique point in history as we come out of COVID-19 restrictions and whilst this will naturally result in an increase in demand for the emergency services as the country reopens, there are still many calls being made to 999 which shouldn't be.

In fact many of these reports could be made online using the reporting tool on our website, which can provide a much more convenient option for you (see below video) and free up the emergency line for those callers that need our help as quickly as possible. Sadly some calls are still coming through which shouldn’t be made to police at all and are delaying our call handlers from answering calls from people who desperately need our help.

Here are some examples of the type of emergency calls that should be made to 999:

• Anywhere there is an immediate threat to life
• Incident where somebody has been seriously injured and needs assistance
• An on-going incident

Here are some examples of reports that should be made online:

• Fraud
• A crime that has taken place but is no longer on-going
• Lost or stolen vehicles

Here are some examples of reports that should not be made to police and are preventing our call handlers from answering emergency calls from people who need help urgently:

• Complaint about a returns policy for a retail company
• Your takeaway has arrived late
• The ticket machine at a train station has taken your change

We are taking our own measures internally to ensure that we can provide the best possible service to everyone who calls GMP; including reconfiguring our processes and recruiting more staff who can answer the phone to you but in the meantime, we really need your help and support.

Below this message you will find a brief instructional video showing you just how quick and easy it is to make a report online instead of waiting on the phone.

Please click here for more information about our online reporting tool and remember; if it's not a 999, report it online.