Dallas Police Face Criticism For Slow Response To 911 Calls
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - For the second time this week, Dallas police are facing criticism for lack of response to 911 calls.
Friday afternoon, a young woman says she waited for three hours for a patrol officer to meet her to make a report following a hit and run crash.
Bethany, who asked that her last name not be used, was headed home from meeting her dad for lunch when she was rear-ended.
The 23-year-old says a woman in a blue SUV slammed into her Honda sedan as she was stopped at Coit Road at the George Bush Turn Pike.
"After she hit me, she came and asked me, are you ok? I said no, I need you to follow me," said Bethany.
Bethany says the woman appeared to follow her as she prepared to turn onto the turnpike and take the first exit, but then the driver sped off.
Bethany pulled over and called 911 – her cell phone call log shows the time was 12:39 p.m.
"I was shaken up and upset. I was hurting. My neck was hurting," said Bethany.
"It's an invisible disability, but I have fibromyalgia. I don't look like I'm sick, but on the inside I'm very sick and I know I'm going to be feeling this for days," said the woman.
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Bethany says the dispatcher at the Dallas Police Department told her she was second in line for response. She told the operator she did not need an ambulance, and returned to the scene to wait.
"About 45 minutes in, I started to get worried," she said.
Bethany started calling for police again – she called 911 and another Dallas police number at 1:07, 1:28, 2:41, and 3:30 p.m.
Around 3:45 p.m., she says, an officer finally arrived. Bethany says the officer apologized, and told her they were understaffed.
"I have the utmost respect and I understand there could have been way more important things going on, but a three and a half hour wait while I'm sitting there in my car – I'm hurt. It was just frustrating," said Bethany.
The Dallas Police Department faced similar criticism on Monday, when a man was robbed at gunpoint while jogging in Lake Highlands.
In that incident, the victim said a dispatcher told him there was a shortage of patrol cars, and he should go to the police department to file a report.
CBS 11 News reached out to the Dallas Police Department with questions about the delays. A public information officer provided some details about Monday's incident in Lake Highlands.
The public information officer says in regards to Monday's incident, it was determined that field supervisors should have taken more of a direct roll ensuring a prompt response to the call by patrol officers. DPD says the supervisors involved will be counseled to prevent such incidents in the future. The public information officer went on to say that all supervisors are being reminded to be cognizant of the priority of violent crime calls by communication dispatchers.
CBS 11 News reached out to DPD about the delay.
Dallas police tell CBS 11 News, Bethany's 911 call first went to Dallas Fire Rescue. A police officer was then assigned to her call at 1:26 p.m. That officer was then pulled from that call from 1:35 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. in response to a steady influx of high-priority calls.
A public information officer apologized for the delayed response, saying all calls are important and calls are prioritized by level of urgency.
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