Non-emergency police line sees sharp rise in wait times, call abandonment

The accessibility of the Netherlands’ non-emergency police phone line 0900-8844 has significantly deteriorated recently, with worsening wait times and a history of similar disruptions raising concerns about missed reports and strained staffing, according to police data obtained by the television program Kassa and earlier reporting by the AD.

Police figures indicate that average wait times have climbed sharply since 2021. That year, calls were answered in an average of 16 seconds. By 2025, the average had increased to 103 seconds, and in September 2025 alone, callers waited an average of 246 seconds, or just over four minutes. The police internal standard requires that 80 percent of calls be answered within 20 seconds, a benchmark the service is now far from meeting.

At the same time, more callers are abandoning the line before reaching an operator. In 2021, 2 percent of callers hung up before being helped. Last year, that figure rose to 17 percent. Over the same period, call volume increased modestly, from 4.25 million calls to 4.39 million.

The current strain follows earlier documented problems with the same phone line. Ten years ago, the AD reported that wait times could reach 20 minutes, with callers frequently hanging up before speaking to police, resulting in lost tips. At the time, police attributed the issues to high sick leave and the rollout of a new computer system.

Authorities and police representatives point to staffing shortages as a central cause of the current decline. Patrick Fluyt, a board member with the police union ACP, described an “extremely high workload” among call handlers. He also cited limited career progression as a retention problem, saying, “Then you get bored with your job, and you leave.”

A police spokesperson confirmed declining staffing levels and added that incoming reports have become more complex, including a higher share of cybercrime cases. The spokesperson also said more people are calling the number when they should be contacting other agencies instead.

Minister of Justice and Security David van Weel said there is no link between the long wait times and police funding. The National Police said it is working on “technological and organizational improvements” to restore accessibility.