Calling 999

999 is our emergency line.

As a general rule, 999 should be used:

• when someone is in immediate danger,
• if the crime is still in progress,
• you need police help immediately,
• if property is in danger of being damaged or
• a serious disruption to the public is likely.

For crimes that aren't urgent, please avoid calling 999. We also ask that you refrain from calling the emergency line back to ask for updates on previous calls. 

When you call 999 to report a crime / incident, our call handlers will assess the risk, harm and threat of the call and dispatch officers to you. The time that officers will get to you will depend on the seriousness of the situation at hand, and the grade given by the call handler and dispatcher in our Demand Hub. 

If you need immediate police assistance but you can't speak freely, learn more about Silent 999 calls. 

British Sign Language (BSL) users can use our video relay service where an interpreter will help you report a crime to us.