Los Angeles social media personality Evan Lovett experienced a distressing wait time when calling 911 after discovering his home had been burglarized. Known for the "LA in a Minute" podcast, Lovett found his house violated late Friday evening, with a shattered glass door and valuables missing, including a safe containing family heirlooms. In a frustrated post on social media, as per KTLA, Lovett shared his unease, particularly about the police response time after the incident. He said, “This s*** is unnerving.” He added “It’s not cool,” in a video that has since circulated online.
Lovett shared with KTLA his disbelief at being on hold with 911 dispatchers for a staggering 59 minutes. The delay raised concerns about L.A.'s emergency response capabilities, especially considering Lovett's case wasn't what he described as "a real, timely emergency."
An explanation for the delayed response was provided by LAPD Captain Ray Valois, who stated that Lovett's initial call was answered within 74 seconds, but because no immediate danger was identified, it was transferred to a non-emergency line. Valois admitted to NBC Los Angeles that the subsequent wait time was extended, partly due to higher wait times for non-emergency calls during weekend nights. However, the LAPD has reportedly hired 144 new dispatchers, with 115 still in training, suggesting that help is on its way.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman addressed the issue as well, stating in a statement obtained by CBS News that "911 wait times for non-urgent calls are unacceptably long right now" and acknowledged that progress in recruitment of 911 operators needs acceleration. Similarly, Mayor Karen Bass's office issued a statement following the event, calling the situation "unacceptable" and noting that the city is actively working to hire additional 911 dispatchers and grow the LAPD.
