Mahmood to call for more police patrols and faster 999 responses

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will set national response-time standards for 999 calls and seeks to reduce administrative duties so officers can spend more time on patrol.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to outline policing reforms aimed at increasing time officers spend on patrol. She has said she will cut what she describes as unnecessary administration that keeps officers in stations. The proposals include setting a national standard for 999 response times. Officials have reported that people sometimes wait hours or days for a police response. Key points: - Mahmood said people report crimes and then wait hours or days for a response. - She will set national 999 response standards of 15 minutes in urban areas and 20 minutes in rural areas, and aims to reduce administrative duties so officers can spend more time on patrol. - If forces fail to meet the targets, the Home Office plans to send experts from higher-performing forces to help improve response times. - The government intends to outline these reform plans on Monday; some wider measures, including a proposed National Police Service and an officer licensing scheme, have already been announced. Summary: The proposals aim to shorten emergency response times and increase visible policing by reducing administrative tasks and setting national targets. The government will present detailed plans on Monday and says enforcement measures will include deploying experts to forces that do not meet the new standards.