Most first meetings go well, but anyone who meets people from dating apps may want to know what to do if they need police help and it is unsafe to speak. In the UK, the Silent Solution system exists for exactly that situation, and the police and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) have published how it works. This guide summarises their explanation. It applies to 999 calls in the UK, it is general information, and in any emergency the advice is to call 999.
What happens when 999 is called
According to the IOPC’s guide, all 999 calls are directed to call centres and answered by BT operators, who ask which service is needed. If no service is requested but anything suspicious is heard during the call, BT operators connect the caller to a police call handler.
The IOPC says that from a mobile it is always best to speak to the operator if possible, even by whispering, and that a caller may also be asked to cough or tap the keys on the phone in response to questions.
What the Silent Solution is
If making a sound would put the caller or someone else in danger and the BT operator cannot decide whether an emergency service is needed, the call is transferred to the Silent Solution system. The IOPC describes it as a police system used to filter out large numbers of accidental or hoax 999 calls, and one that also exists to help people who cannot speak but genuinely need police assistance.
The caller then hears an automated police message lasting 20 seconds, which begins “you are through to the police” and asks the caller to press 55 to be put through to police call management. In the IOPC’s description:
- The BT operator remains on the line and listens.
- If the caller presses 55, the operator is notified and transfers the call to the police.
- If the caller does not press 55, the call is terminated.
- Pressing 55 does not allow police to track the caller’s location.
What happens after the transfer
Once transferred to the local police force, the IOPC says the police call handler will try to communicate by asking simple yes or no questions. A caller who cannot speak is advised to listen carefully to the questions and instructions so that the call handler can assess the call and arrange help if needed.
A silent call on its own does not summon help
The IOPC has stressed that there is a myth that a silent call by itself will automatically bring help. In a 2020 news item, the regulator said the “Make Yourself Heard” campaign was developed after a 2016 investigation into Devon and Cornwall Police’s contact with a woman who was murdered by her partner and who wrongly thought that police had her number and would know to come if she made a silent 999 call. The IOPC’s message is that a caller who is in danger should call 999, listen and respond to questions and instructions, and make themselves heard by coughing, tapping the handset or, once prompted by the automated system, pressing 55. In that 2020 item the IOPC also reported that, of about 20,000 silent 999 calls made each day, around 5,000 were transferred to the Silent Solution system and the 55 instruction was detected roughly only 50 times a day. Those are figures for 2020, and the point they illustrate is that many people who call in danger do not press 55 when prompted.
Landlines work differently
The IOPC’s guide says the Silent Solution is not used for landline calls, because accidental 999 calls are less likely from landlines. If no emergency is requested from a landline, the caller does not answer questions and only background noise is heard, and BT operators cannot decide whether an emergency service is needed, the call is connected to a police call handler because doubt exists. It adds that if the handset is replaced, the landline may remain connected for 45 seconds in case it is picked up again, and that information about where a landline call is coming from should be automatically available to call handlers.
Texting 999 when speaking or hearing is difficult
Relay UK says its service lets deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired people alert the police, ambulance, fire or coastguard services by calling through a relay assistant or by texting 999 using emergencySMS. Avon and Somerset Police explain that a phone number must be registered before the service can be used, by sending a text with the word “Register” to 999 and following the instructions. This route is designed for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired, so it is not a general alternative for anyone who simply cannot speak in a particular situation.
Frequently asked questions
Do police know where a silent 999 mobile call is coming from?
The IOPC’s guide says pressing 55 does not allow the police to track a caller’s location, and that a silent call by itself does not automatically bring help. Callers should respond to the questions the call handler asks.
Should someone whisper if they can?
According to the IOPC, yes: it is always best to speak to the operator if you can, even by whispering.
The bottom line
If speaking on a 999 call from a mobile is unsafe, the IOPC’s guidance is to stay on the line, cough or tap, and press 55 when the automated police message asks, then listen and answer yes or no questions from the call handler. A silent call alone is not enough, and pressing 55 does not reveal location, so responding to prompts matters. Knowing this before a first meeting costs nothing, and 999 remains the number to call in an emergency.
Sources
- Independent Office for Police Conduct, “What to do if you need urgent police help through the 999 service, but can’t speak”
- Independent Office for Police Conduct, “If you’re at risk of domestic abuse, remember the Silent Solution” (22 April 2020)
- Relay UK, “Contact 999 using Relay UK”
- Avon and Somerset Police, “Emergency SMS using Relay UK”