One year after Oakland officials announced a $2.5 million investment aimed at revitalizing the city’s struggling 911 Emergency Call Center, the average response times continue to be the slowest in California by a significant margin. Current data indicates that Oakland Police Department’s average answer time stands at 50 seconds, which is more than three times the state standard of 15 seconds.
City leaders, however, claim there has been progress. Last summer, the center managed to answer only 36% of its calls within the 15-second benchmark, but that figure has now improved to 51%. Despite this improvement, Oakland still needs to reach 90% compliance according to the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).
The city received a notice of non-compliance from Cal OES in mid-2023, shortly after a report revealed that Oakland had the worst 911 response times in the state. The $2.5 million investment, announced in September 2023, is planned to be utilized over a two-year period. Half of this funding is allocated for hiring additional dispatchers, a 911 supervisor, and therapists. Other expenditures include upgrading dispatch technology, hiring staff for non-emergency calls, consulting services, and organizing job fairs.
Mayor Thao addressed the city’s ongoing hiring efforts during a recent press conference, stating, “We’re doing ongoing hiring and ongoing testing. That was not happening previously. We are providing more mental health support for dispatchers. That wasn’t happening previously.”
However, significant improvements in response times may still be a year away. Mayor Thao outlined a training timeline of 10 to 12 months for new operators, which could temporarily reduce the efficiency of the call center as seasoned operators mentor newcomers, both focusing on a single call initially.
As Oakland strives to meet state response time requirements, Cal OES has increased monitoring of the call center through monthly meetings following the city’s failure to meet the 90% compliance deadline. Oakland’s deputy director of services has indicated that 911 answer times should achieve compliance by the end of next year.
Residents like Jennifer Pahlka have expressed frustration over the extended response times. Pahlka recounted a distressing experience in July when her home was broken into while she was occupied with a virtual meeting. After running to a neighbor’s house to call 911, she faced a lengthy wait before finally reaching an operator, with police taking two days to respond.
Despite believing the intruder was mentally unwell and not intending harm, Pahlka felt a profound sense of isolation during the crisis. After sharing her experience on social media, which garnered over two million views, she reflected on the need for deeper inquiry into the issues surrounding Oakland’s 911 failures, emphasizing that the challenge lies with both elected leaders and the community.