911 dispatcher suspended for gross negligence

[Alan C.]

911 dispatcher suspended, woman shot while waiting for police

 

Police Chief James Craig has suspended two 911 dispatchers for delays in sending officers to separate calls for service -- including one that eventually resulted in a death.Craig said Wednesday that the suspensions are without pay and that he is seeking criminal charges against a dispatcher who did not immediately send a patrol car to reports of an argument on the city's east side.FOX 2's Charlie LeDuff says a woman who feared for her safety called 911 six times, but the dispatcher waited more than an hour to send officers to the dispute. LeDuff says by the time officers arrived the woman was shot by a man armed with an AK-47. She is now listed in critical condition.Craig said police units were available when the 911 calls were made."If they would've come right away, this incident wouldn't have happened," said the victim's cousin.Craig says Commander Todd Bettison, the head of the Detroit Police Communications Center, was demoted to an inspector in the city's Northeastern District.LeDuff says back in May a woman was fatally stabbed after a call was made to 911 and cruiser didn't arrive on scene for 90 minutes. The dispatcher in that case has been charged with misconduct of office, LeDuff says.

 

What do you suppose would happen if this had been a private company?

[Kawlinz]

People would say "WTF?! I'm not paying another cent to this company, there must be a more responsible alternative"

[Wesley]

So police officers (according to the Supreme Court) have no obligation to help people when they are in danger, but 911 dispatchers do. Very interesting...

[nathanm]

Perhaps the dispatcher is more important because in politics it's more important to say the right things than it is to do the right things.  At the very least the appearance of doing the right thing must be maintained.  Whether or not the thing gets done, or gets done poorly, or if it is made worse than it was is all easily swept into the memory hole.  A stretch I admit, but that's what came to mind. I clicked on this post because it's soooo rare to see anyone in government losing a job.  Well, at least I think it is.  News disseminator Alan Chapman will have more perspective on this.

[Magnus]

Perhaps the dispatcher is more important because in politics it's more important to say the right things than it is to do the right things.  At the very least the appearance of doing the right thing must be maintained.  Whether or not the thing gets done, or gets done poorly, or if it is made worse than it was is all easily swept into the memory hole.  A stretch I admit, but that's what came to mind. I clicked on this post because it's soooo rare to see anyone in government losing a job.  Well, at least I think it is.  News disseminator Alan Chapman will have more perspective on this.

 

I think this is it.  The 911 call center is the front-of-house.  It's the main interface with the livestock.  The State's courts would never decree that the State's muscle (back-of-house division) is legally obligated to serve the interests of the livestock, but they would come down hard on anyone who helps strip away the facade that the police exist to protect and serve. 

 

Just look at how hostile they are to the livestock making recordings of police in action.  From the State's perspective, a 911 operator who reveals the truth is basically in the same category as a guy with a camera documenting a checkpoint.