Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police say a staffing shortage is to blame for slow 911 response times, leaving some callers on hold for one minute or longer.
The department is nearly 20 people short of the number of telecommunicators needed to fully staff the 911 call center.
Two years ago, Deputy Chief David Robinson said CMPD answered 90% of 911 calls in 10 seconds or less. That’s considered the industry standard. That percentage has slipped to 60%, Robinson told Charlotte City Council on Monday. And 10% of 911 calls take longer than one minute to answer.
“It is not necessarily our fault, but it is our problem,” Robinson said. “It’s a nationwide trend, with call centers around the country … there are shortages, shortages of people willing to do this work.”
Charlotte’s 911 center, which dispatches police, fire and paramedics, receives roughly 1 million calls a year. So far this year, the total number of calls is up 1.2%.
Council member Ed Driggs pointed out that with more than 1 million calls each year, answering 97% in under two minutes sounds good but actually leaves tens of thousands of callers waiting longer.
“There are 30,000 calls a year that aren’t being answered in two minutes," said Driggs. "That’s a concern.”
The city has hired 36 telecommunicators this year. That’s out of 150 candidates initially interviewed. In total, the telecommunications center employs 124 operators and supervisors, Robinson said. CMPD had been 20 telecommunicators short of full staffing — but that improved to 16, thanks to four new hires on Monday, Robinson said.
To hire more telecommunicators, Robinson said the department raised pay 5% this month — with another 4% raise coming in January — and doubled hiring bonuses to $4,000 after six months. The entry-level salary for a telecommunicator will be about $50,000 starting next year, Robinson said.
But, he said the hiring process can be slow.
“There are so many steps along the way, and let’s not forget we’re competing against the places that do allow work from home,” said Robinson. “We’re committed to getting the best of the best people and not lowering our standards by any means.”
Robinson said CMPD has also increased overtime, made supervisors eligible to earn overtime taking calls and rearranged schedules to beef up staffing at the busiest call times. Police officers assigned to light duty are also being assigned to take calls in the 911 center.
And Robinson said CMPD is trying to remind people how to responsibly use the 911 system — and what they shouldn't call for. One recent improper call came from a man having an argument with his girlfriend about whether it's legal to kill a praying mantis, for instance.
Robinson said he’ll come back to City Council in 90 days to report on CMPD’s progress.
Some City Council members suggested the 911 call center could use more automation and technology to increase efficiency. Robinson said that while the department will continue to look at such solutions, ultimately they must hire more staff.
“This isn’t a job that a robot can do,” he said. “We need human beings.”
