NCJ Number
179716
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 26 Issue: 7 Dated: July 1999 Pages: 68-70
Date Published
1999
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes a new system to handle non-emergency calls for service in police dispatch centers.
Abstract
According to several cities, the number of 911 calls is increasing at an average of 5 percent per year and the percentage of dispatched calls also is rising. This means more officers are responding to more radio calls and have less time to do crime prevention and community policing. In response to the overload of 911 calls across the country, Attorney General Janet Reno announced a national 311 initiative that cities could implement at their own discretion. Several cities have established 311 centers to provide non-emergency services and to function as a backup to 911 centers in emergencies. The main object of the 311 system is to get a request to the proper city department or police more efficiently. The article contains details of hardware and personnel used in Chicago's application of the 311 system and preliminary evaluations of the program's usefulness.