911 Wait Times  in America Are Crazy

 

The FOX 8 I-Team has found a woman called 911 for Cleveland police, and she waited for days. This comes to light with new concern about more long response times.

The 911 caller in this case reported bullet holes through the floor and into the TV. Gunfire, apparently, from the apartment downstairs in a building on Cleveland’s southeast side.

But, the woman told the I-Team, Cleveland police never came. Dispatch records show the call listed as pending or waiting for police to be assigned for three days.

The caller told FOX 8, “But, I didn’t expect for them to never show up.”

She added, “What I feel is mad because they never showed up. That bullet could’ve gone to my bedroom instead of my living room.”

The I-Team reviewed police notes from that call. They show, nearly two dozen times, dispatchers tried to alert police bosses of an entire list of 911callers left waiting and waiting for officers.

The caller told FOX 8, “But, I didn’t expect for them to never show up.”

She added, “What I feel is mad because they never showed up. That bullet could’ve gone to my bedroom instead of my living room.”

The I-Team reviewed police notes from that call. They show, nearly two dozen times, dispatchers tried to alert police bosses of an entire list of 911callers left waiting and waiting for officers.

“We need to deploy our people in the streets of Cleveland,” he said.

Polensek is now fighting against sending Cleveland officers out of town even for a few days due to the severe short-staffing here.

While many police agencies sent groups of officers to Cleveland for Republican National Convention Security, it’s not clear how many officers Cleveland would send out of town.

But, council may hold a hearing on it and may not approve it.

“We have too many issues in this city,” Polensek said. “When I saw it, I just sat there in disbelief they tried bringing that through. We’re gonna deploy people to Milwaukee and Chicago?”

Back to the 3-day delay.

The caller told us, “They told my son it wasn’t an emergency … because they had more important things to deal with.”

The Cleveland Police Chief’s Office is now looking into this delay. Waiting for police not minutes, not hours, but days.

The caller said, “I can’t be at home for the police three days later.”

We will follow up with what the chief’s office finds. And, we’ll report on whether or not the city sends officers to the conventions in July and August.