Officers praised for their excellent response times as National Response Policing Week launches
Greater Manchester Police response officers have cut 999 call-answering time to four seconds and Grade 1 incident attendance to under eight minutes, prompting official praise as National Response Policing Week begins.
Response officers are often the first point of contact for emergencies across Greater Manchester, operating around the clock, every day of the week.
We want to highlight the commitment, professionalism, and hard work of our response officers, along with all those who support the response service throughout the week.
GMP has more than 1,600 response officers working across different boroughs, dealing with incidents ranging from burglaries and robberies to assaults and road traffic collisions.
They are regularly the first on scene, assessing immediate risks, beginning investigations, and providing a visible and reassuring police presence for the public.
In both 2024 and 2025, GMP’s average time of taking 999 calls was four seconds, compared to 29 seconds in June 2022.
Between March 1 2025 and February 28 2026, we were called to 141,058 grade 1 incidents with an average attendance time of seven minutes and 49 seconds, down from an average of nine minutes and 34 seconds in 2024.
For grade 2 incidents, we responded to 111,003 of the 111,563 we were called to, with an average attendance time of one hour seven minutes and 46 seconds.
The week will also raise awareness of the wellbeing and resilience support services, provided throughout the year by our Occupational Health Unit, with access to a range of initiatives from the force and Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service.
GMP’s Assistant Chief Constable Matt Boyle, National Lead for Response Policing, said: “This week marks a moment for all of us to pause and recognise the extraordinary work carried out by our response officers every single day.
“Response policing remains one of the most challenging, fast-paced, and essential parts of our service. Our response officers are often the first touchpoint for those in crisis, meeting people at their most vulnerable and guiding them through moments that may well shape the rest of their lives.
“They are the first line of defence in moments of danger - stepping forward to confront risk, protect the public, and make critical decisions in real time. Our response officers carry that responsibility with professionalism and integrity.
“Policing cannot function without response officers. You are the forefront of British policing, the frontline of safety, and the foundation upon which trust in policing is built.”
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