Faster emergency response times to 999 calls to Hertfordshire Police have been examined by PCC Jonathan Ash-Edwards.

Days after taking up his new role the Commissioner visited the Force Control Room at police HQ at Stanborough, Welwyn Garden City.

He spoke with senior officers and call handlers who deal with an average of 1,500 calls a day from across the county, which includes emergency 999 calls and non-urgent 101 phone calls.

Staff also deal with crime reports and questions from the public which come in via the Constabulary’s social media channels and webchat.

Mr Ash-Edwards was shown reports on how the service for the public has improved in the past two years. Results show that in April 2024 87.4 per cent of 999 calls were answered in 10 seconds and 74.3 per cent of 101 calls were picked up within 90 seconds. Compared for the same period two years ago the statistics were 76.8 percent and 45.2 per cent respectively.

Jonathan Ash-Edwards said: “It was very interesting to visit the Force Control Room and meet the staff and officers who were doing a fantastic job responding to calls from the public.

“I wanted to see for myself the kinds of calls that come into the Constabulary and how they are dealt with. For thousands of Hertfordshire residents every week this maybe the only contact they have with the police so it is important to get the service right.

“I am aware that there has been a legacy of call response times being longer than they should have been. It is pleasing to see the improvements which are now being made.”