Category Measures

• Firefighter Response Time
• Fires
• Juvenile Involved Violent Crimes
• Part I & Part II Crime
• Police Response Times
• Violent Crimes

Why This Is Important

This measure shows the amount of time it takes from when a person calls 911 until a police officer arrives at the scene. This time is important because a rapid response enables officers to more effectively deal with crimes in progress or to apprehend a perpetrator. In the past, these numbers were not seen as a reliable indicator since officers did not always notify the dispatcher when they arrived on the scene. A change in the dispatch system now automatically records the officers' arrival time.

What's Being Done

The best way to keep response times short, especially for priority one calls, is to have adequate precinct staffing. In addition, recent upgrades in the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system have helped decrease response time. For example, one of the many upgrades allows the direct dispatch of the car located closest to the incident.

About This Measure

The 911 Center provides response time results, which are automatically recorded by its Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. Priority one calls are situations where there is an existing risk to personal safety/health or the loss/damage to property. Conditions at the scene of the call are unstable. This is the second highest priority and speed of action is of significant concern to protect personal safety and/or limit loss/damage of property.