Response to 111 calls getting slower

Police are taking several minutes longer to respond to 111 emergency calls than this time a year ago, new evidence shows.

Figures released by the Government show that from March to August the average response time for priority one emergency calls in urban areas was 15 minutes -- four minutes longer than the same period last year.

The force has defended the delay and says the number of calls they receive has jumped dramatically in the past year and the average response time is not an accurate performance measure.

The figures have prompted fresh calls for an urgent boost to frontline staff and follow Friday's release of briefing papers to Police Minister Annette King saying new recruits are required to maintain core services.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said the figures, reported in today's Press newspaper in Christchurch, accentuated its push for more frontline officers.

"If burglaries and murders go up police don't tend to get the blame but if we don't attend to an emergency quickly we do," Mr O'Connor said.

"There has been political talk of having 1000 new police officers, but that is changing to 'staff' -- it has to be sworn officers working on the frontline."

Mr O'Connor said the centres would get more efficient in dealing with calls.

Police bosses say that from March to August officers responded to 68 per cent of urban emergency events within 10 minutes.

That was 3 per cent lower than last year and well below an overall goal of 90 per cent.

In rural areas police attended 84 per cent of events within a target of 30 minutes.

Canterbury police responded to 78 per cent of urban 111 calls within 10 minutes -- 3 per cent better than the same period last year.

The worst average response times were recorded in Counties/Manukau, 31 minutes, Auckland city, 14 minutes, and Northland, 14 minutes.

Police national communications centres manager Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald said the number of priority one calls had increased by 20 per cent to 52,959 this March to August.

"It's just generally a reflection that people say they don't have confidence in the 111 service, but the use is actually increasing," Mr Fitzgerald said.

Spokesman for Ms King, John Harvey, said the Government was committed to boosting police staff by 1000 over the next three years.

He said the Government was also awaiting a police report on establishing a non-emergency telephone number to lighten the load on the 111 system.

National police spokesman Simon Power said the Government had to act quickly to build public confidence in police.

"Police have had appalling representation around the Cabinet table in recent years and the public level of confidence in police has responded accordingly," Mr Power said.

"It is certainly not going to assist the public to see response times rising."

Mr Power said the Government should come clean on whether it was going to provide an extra 1000 frontline sworn police officers.

- nzpa