Most 911 calls waste police's time, studies show

More cities using civilian response units to handle certain calls

In early March as dusk approached, an elderly man waited to meet his daughter in the parking lot of a public-private apartment complex on the campus of the University of Maryland. The man stood near some cars and glanced at his phone, receiving a text message that she was driving back from class and would soon be at her apartment.

It was a comfortable, clear evening, so he didn't feel the need to wait inside his cramped car. He had driven a considerable distance in traffic and stretched out his legs by walking some around the parking lot. Then someone from the complex called police, claiming he had been peering into cars and might be trying to burglarize vehicles in the parking lot.

Two university police cars arrived. An officer told him that someone reported he was looking in cars and appeared suspicious, then said there had been numerous vehicle break-ins. The man stayed calm and surrendered his driver's license. He identified his daughter's unit and explained he was waiting for his daughter, who would soon show up. The information was confirmed, and the man was allowed to leave after being told to wait inside his car, not outside in the lot.

This waste of police time and resources occurs more often than most think, according to studies. Up to 57 percent of 911 calls to the Baltimore Police Department could be assigned to civilian paramedics, social workers, and other non-police responders, according to a new University of Maryland study. That would free up at least 59 full-time officers, or about 9 percent of Baltimore's patrol units.

Another study by the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Vera Institute of Justice of 15.6 million 911 calls to police departments in nine U.S. cities found that 62.6 percent were either false calls involving a mistaken observation or concerned non-criminal and barely criminal situations, such as a loose pet. The cities reviewed were New York, Baltimore, Detroit, New Orleans, Seattle, Burlington, Vt., Cincinnati, Hartford, Ct., and Tucson, Az.

Others say the police are better trained to handle most calls, even ones that seem insignificant because they can escalate into more serious situations. Even calls that seem wasted get more police in the community and can help deter crime, they say.

Fourteen of 20 most populous U.S. cities start civilian teams

At least 14 of the 20 most populous U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, and Houston, have started civilian response units, according to an Associated Press report. Having a mental health counselor on the scene in calls involving someone with a possible mental issue has been found to be particularly effective in reducing unwanted confrontations and outcomes.

One of the oldest crisis intervention programs is in Eugene, Ore., where civilian responders have handled mental health-related calls since 1989. In 2019, they responded to more than 24,000 service requests, needing police assistance less than 1 percent of the time, according to a report by Hemet [Calif.] Police Capt. Glen Brock.

Case studies of call diversion programs in Albuquerque, Atlanta, Denver, and Houston have shown the importance of investing in training for 911 dispatchers to help identify suitable calls for civilians to handle, the Maryland researchers said. But detractors point out the difficulty of deciding whether police or a civilian team were best to handle the response from a brief 911 call, which supporters acknowledge.

“It is very challenging to parse exactly what event is unfolding from a 911 call, or how much danger it poses to the first responder,” admitted Luke Spreen, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy and coauthor of the recent study.

More 911 dispatchers in cities are sending out civilian response teams, but it can be difficult to decide what calls require police or not.Photo byICMA Photos / Creative Commons

The study, also by UM assistant criminology professor Greg Midgette, offered a model to assess the impact of the call diversion programs. Detractors point out the costs involved, but Spreen responded, "Focusing exclusively on the costs of operating a civilian responder program ignores positive downstream benefits it is likely to generate, such as reductions in arrests.”

Successful civilian responder programs usually start small. “We believe this is the correct approach,” said Spreen, “though our analysis suggests that most existing diversion programs may still be too small.”

Many calls categorized as “criminal” can relate to poverty, homelessness, mental health, and substance use, according to the Vera study. People who are homeless are often arrested and jailed for loitering or vagrancy for simply sitting in a public space.

Worst cases

In the worst cases, a police call involving a mistaken observation can escalate into violence. In February, Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies responding to a call about a possible burglary shot a woman several times in her own Houston-area apartment.

As the deputies responded to the possible burglary call, a resident flagged them down and said he heard a break-in occurring in the unit above him. While investigating a broken window there, they shot Eboni Pouncy, 28, numerous times through a closed door, saying they saw her through the window approach the door holding a gun, according to reports.

Pouncy survived, and attorney Paul Grinke said she and another apartment resident had locked themselves out of the unit, so they broke a window to get inside. Pouncy didn't hear deputies identify themselves and had a gun "pointed down at the floor," thinking the officers at the door might be intruders, Grinke said. Deputies did not tell her to drop the weapon but "immediately opened fire through the closed door," Grinke said.

In another case, a police officer shot Charles Sharp III, 49, as he stood in the front yard of his Mantua, N.J., residence and reported on his phone to 911 dispatchers that he saw two intruders in his back yard. The officer did not appear to give any warnings and was charged with manslaughter. Sharp died soon after being shot.

In some cases, the mistake escalates to unnecessary violence before police arrive. In 2023, a Florida resident mistakenly thought a swimming pool cleaner was an intruder and shot him with an assault rifle. The victim survived, and the shooter was not charged under the state's "Stand Your Ground" law.

911 call tips

Police and city government sources offer the following tips for those deciding whether or not to call 911:

* Remember than 911 is for emergencies only. Dialing 988 is usually better for mental health and suicide prevention calls involving people who are not threatening others. And for non-emergencies such as abandoned vehicles, graffiti, and noise, 311 is a good alternative.

* Avoid calling 911 to ask when electrical power will be restored during an outage, how the road conditions are, or whether schools are open. There are other numbers for those questions.

* If you see someone who might be an intruder, observe the person carefully to be more sure that person could be committing a crime, rather than merely waiting in that area for someone.

* Have the correct address, including the name of the city or county, street and number, if possible. Look for landmarks, cross street signs and buildings. Many 911 dispatchers do not automatically know where the 911 caller is located from smart phones.

* Make sure your address is posted clearly at the entrance and on your home.

* Remain calm and answer all questions. Remain on the line and follow the instructions the call-taker gives you.

* If you happen to call 911 by accident, stay on the line until you can tell the dispatcher that you called by accident and there is not an emergency.