Q: If we called 911, approximately how long would it take an officer to arrive at our home? I have friends in the suburbs, some say two minutes for them, and others say 20. That’s a big difference, especially if it’s an emergency.
There are several factors that will affect the time it takes for an officer to respond to a location. One of the main factors will be the type of call. The Dallas Police Department has a call prioritization system to separate actual emergency calls from potential emergency calls. This tier system sets goals for the Dallas Police Department to have an officer on scene in a set amount of time from the initial call to 911. That system is made up of priority 1 calls (shootings, stabbings, crimes in progress and other life threatening situations, etc. — classified as “emergency” with a response time goal of eight minutes); priority 2 calls (major disturbances, traffic accidents and 911 hang-up calls, etc. — classified as “prompt,” goal of 10 minutes); priority 3 calls (burglary where suspect is no longer there, criminal mischief, etc. — “general,” goal of 15 minutes); and priority 4 (abandoned vehicles, stalled cars and parking violations, etc. — “non critical,” goal of one hour).
When officers receive the call, they are directed to go to the call location in the most direct and safe manner possible. Other factors can be time of day, current call load, traffic and major incidents occurring at that same time. Call response times through March 3 showed that the Northeast Division responded to calls with the following average times: priority 1 — 8.47 minutes; priority 2 — 15.39 minutes; priority 3 — 24.14 minutes; and priority 4 — 29.41 minutes.
If you feel you aren’t getting timely service, please call 911 again and ask to speak with a supervisor. As always, the men and women of the Dallas Police Department are committed to providing the citizens of
Q; I’d like to know what percentage of thieves, car- and home-related, actually are caught?
The Northeast Patrol Division’s Investigative Unit maintains records showing cases cleared. A burglary of motor vehicle (BMV) or a residential/business burglary can be cleared by arrest of the suspect or by exceptional arrest, meaning one suspect will confess to numerous crimes so that several crimes are cleared with one arrest.
The Investigative Unit received 395 BMV offenses for investigation in the month of January. Of those 395 cases, 313 were suspended (canceled) due to lack of suspect information or evidence. Of the 83 remaining cases, 23 where solved by the arrest of the suspect.
Likewise, there were 299 investigations for residential burglary in the month of January, which resulted in 32 being cleared by arrest of the suspect.
Just as important is the recovery of the property taken. In January, the Northeast Patrol Division recovered $127,711 in property that was returned to the owner.
The Dallas Police Department is committed to the apprehension and conviction of every offender.