Auditor’s Report Highlights Issues with 911 Call Taking

Tuesday, May 21, 2024 | Austin, Texas

The Office of the City Auditor initiated an investigation into the operation of the Austin Police Department’s 911 service following citizens’ complaints. The inquiry was prompted by City Council members Alison Alter and Vanessa Fuentes due to the difficulties citizens experienced while trying to connect with the city’s 911 service during emergencies.

911 Call Taking: An Unresolved Issue

The Austin Police Department (APD) has grappled with a shortage of 911 call takers for years. In 2011, reports highlighted the need for hiring additional staff for 911 operations. As of today, APD announced that there are currently 19 vacancies out of 104 positions, showing considerable improvement from October when they reported 32 vacant positions out of 104.

However, the auditor’s report points out that APD lacks a defined threshold for high 911 call volumes and varied procedures for handling them. Though the police department manages to cover the demands by reassigning staff or soliciting overtime, the lack of a structured procedure for handling high call volumes remains a challenge, as emphasized by Council member, Fuentes.

Comparing Austin’s 911 Operations to Other Cities

In the analysis, auditors compared Austin’s 911 operations with those in Portland, Oregon; Denver, Colorado; and Fort Worth, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston, Texas. The comparison showed that Austin had the second-widest range in the average number of calls per call taker with volume ranging between 175 to 408 calls.

Different strategies are adopted by other cities to address the high call volume. Dallas, Denver, and Portland reportedly switch to an abridged call-taking script during peak hours. In addition, Portland outsources non-emergency calls to a third party, providing relief to their call takers.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Aid 911 Services

The auditors’ investigation found that several cities are beginning to implement artificial intelligence (AI) to manage high call volumes more efficiently. Currently, Austin uses AI for non-emergency calls as part of the iReport system. However, Portland took a leap forward in 2023, using AI to aid with non-emergency calls.

Denver is reportedly exploring the use of AI and hoping to have AI technology implemented by 2025. One of the potential uses of AI technology is geotagging an area with a known incident and creating a voice message for any 911 callers within the vicinity. This would inform callers that the police are already aware of the issue, reducing the number of duplicate calls about the same incident.

Ensuring Better Public Safety

Though considerable strides have been made in addressing the issues with 911 call taking through measures such as increasing the number of call takers, the audit’s findings highlight the need for more robust strategies. The integration of AI in non-emergency call handling and refining the procedures for high call volumes could be instrumental in ensuring optimum service in times of emergencies.

Citizens depend on the 911 service in times of crisis, and any delay could potentially endanger lives. As such, ongoing efforts to improve the system and make it more efficient are not only necessary but critical to providing effective public safety.

The audit’s findings will be discussed in detail during Wednesday’s Audit and Finance Committee meeting.