According to the Metropolitan Police, only 15% of the 999 calls they received over the past year were for real emergencies.
Examples of non-emergency calls included one person reporting a spider in their home, another whose dog refused to return inside, and several complaints about delivery drivers who did not show up.
The police noted that these calls, totaling 1.87 million from July 2024 to July 2025, consumed significant time for call handlers, hindering their ability to respond to actual emergencies.
Commander Caroline Haines emphasized, “In situations where lives are at risk or crimes are occurring, every second matters. Regrettably, numerous individuals contact 999 for issues that are not emergencies or appropriate for police intervention.”
Moreover, some unnecessary calls involved inquiries about updates on prior crime reports, reports of crimes that were not occurring in real-time, incidents of stolen items reported days or even weeks later, and civil disputes, such as conflicts between landlords and tenants, according to the Met.
The police urged the public to reserve 999 calls for situations involving threats to life, immediate danger, or active crimes. Other situations should be reported by calling 101, they advised.
