Chicago Police Ready To Change The Way 911 Calls Are Routed

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Last week the Chicago Sun Times reported on a plan by Chicago Police to change how they respond to 911 calls. Right now, CPD sends officers to nearly 70% of the calls received by their 911 Call Center.

“The effort is to put police officers on crimes — preferably crimes in progress or to prevent crimes — rather than tying them up with administrative duties,” Schenkel told aldermen during City Council budget hearings. “The intention is to shift those administrative duties as much as possible to officers on the phone who can take reports and provide a police report number for the individual calling,”

With the problem economy we've seen a number of agencies that are looking for ways to reduce the number of calls that their officers respond to. Some agencies have shifted calls to telephone report centers staffed by civilians who can take reports on the phone. Other agencies have fielded solutions that allow citizens to file police reports online. Some agencies have even quit responding to calls that aren't criminal or a public safety issue such as funeral escorts.

Whatever the method your agency takes, it's not a bad idea to examine where your limited resources are being utilized and find ways to make them more available for their primary mission, making your community safer.

What has your agency done to reduce unnecessary police calls?