Police to be set 15-minute response target for some 999 calls

As part of a big change that will be unveiled later, police in England and Wales will be able to respond to emergencies within 15 minutes in urban areas and 20 minutes in rural areas. Shabana Mahmood will continue to encourage officers to spend more time on the streets, removing red tape and unnecessary administration when they are not leaving their stations, according to Home Secretary Shabane Mahmou Mahmood said it was a response to a everyday crime epidemic, such as shoplifting and phone robbery, which she said was going

unpunished. When Labour has barred more than 1,300 officers from the front line in our communities, shadow home secretary Chris Philp said it was

hard to take Labour's pledges seriously.

According to Home Office estimates, the number of full-time police officers decreased by 1,303 in the year to March 2025. The new targets were needed, according to Mahmood, because people were reporting crimes and then

waiting hours or even days for a response. According to Neighbourhood Watch's chief executive, John Hayward-Cripps, the response goals would be a

welcome move forwardtoward theintention that police will respond when you report a crime. Most services already have emergency response plans, but the Home Office said there is currently no way to hold them accountable if they do not meet the required requirements. If the new targets are met, the home secretary will bring in experts from high-performing agencies to help with response times. If a target is not able to get to a call safely, forces would not obsess about it, according to Chairman Gavin Stephens. According to Times Radio, policing must change in reaction to a full variety of threats, including cyber-crime.

The targets are part of the government's efforts to make significant reforms to policing in England and Wales. In the run-up to Monday's declarations, several of the reforms had already been announced by the government.

Mahmood will also indicate that she intends to change how staffing levels are funded as a result of the 'officer maintenance grant'', which has prompted some police to recruIT uniformed officers in administrative posITions such as IT or human resources. President Nick Smart welcomed moves to modernize the police, but said that the staff had not been informed on the latest plans.

We represent experts in policing, the most senior operational executives in our service, and it is critical that our opinions be considered alongside chief constables and external consultants,

he said. According to Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson, the government must keep on its promises and "get more officers back to our streets.