Anxious Perth residents are having to wait up to 15 minutes on the phone to speak to police staff, it has been claimed.
Councillor Alexander Stewart said police controllers “would appear to be struggling” to cope with the demand for the 101 non-emergency service.
“There have also been some concerns raised about the length of time it takes to respond to a 999 call,” he said.
“Individuals expressing concerns believe this is totally unacceptable and immensely frustrating.”
Mr Stewart claimed this issue has been highlighted to senior officers “in the past” and reassurances were given that more staff would be recruited and further training put in place.
“It would appear it is as bad as ever and action must be taken because this can, and will, create a crisis in confidence in Police Scotland,” he added.
“I appreciate that demand at times will be excessive but there should be contingencies put in place to ensure that staffing is appropriate. For someone calling 101 and getting no response for a considerable length of time, they may then choose to resolve it by just calling 999, putting further pressure on the emergency number.
“I also appreciate that there are other forms of communications, such as emailing Police Scotland or the community officer, but not everyone has that facility. When reporting a concern it is always better to have verbal communication to resolve the problem.”
He said he will be writing to the senior officer at the control centre in Dundee “seeking clarification” on the situation and what action is being put in place to resolve these complaints and concerns.
“I will also be requesting that the opportunity to visit the facility in Dundee be extended to Perth and Kinross Council,” Mr Stewart added.
A police spokesperson said: “Police Scotland prioritises the answering of 999 emergency and 101 calls within our service centres. We can experience significant spikes and demands that can result in a lower response to calls and we use all opportunities to minimise this impact.”
Superintendent Maggie Pettigrew added: “We are undergoing a significant period of improvement and change within our service centres and area control rooms. At its conclusion, this project will bring many benefits and improvements to our service to the public.
“A number of staff have chosen to leave the organisation and I fully appreciate that the implementation of new IT systems, the recruiting and training of new and existing staff brings with it some challenges in maintaining performance.”