Oakland's 911 crisis has only gotten worse, and residents and business owners within the Bay Area are sounding the alarm. According to state data reveals the city's average emergency answering time to be the second worst in California, with callers having to wait for about a minute before speaking to a dispatcher. The situation is proving dangerous for both civilians and law enforcement, who rely on the 911 system to save lives and respond to emergencies.
When Oakland Police Officer Danny Chor tried calling 911 after being stabbed in the neck by a suspect in 2019, his calls repeatedly failed to connect, as detailed in a 2019-2020 Alameda County Grand Jury report. This alarming incident prompted the examination of Oakland's failing 911 system, and little has changed since then. As a matter of fact, NBC Bay Area reports that the 911 answering time has only gotten worse.
Another resident, Alan Liang, owner of an Oakland auto shop, experienced a similar struggle when trying to report a dead body he found. He initially received a busy signal and was later put on hold for 10 minutes before reaching a dispatcher, KRON4 reports. Such experiences make it clear that Oakland's 911 system is in urgent need of attention.
The city's emergency communication system is battling outdated technology, staff shortages, and a record number of 911 calls, per the 2022-2023 Alameda County Grand Jury report. Oakland recently replaced its 911 phone system, both its dispatch and record-keeping software are so outdated that they are no longer supportable, forcing the police department to resort to purchasing replacement parts on eBay.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has acknowledged the problem, stating that long wait times for 911 callers are "clearly unacceptable" and directing that 911 call-taker vacancies be given top-tier priority in the city's hiring efforts.
