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News channel 9 in El Paso just reported that the average response time by EPPD to a reported burglary is 6-8.......hours. I reported an actual shooting on one of my job sites at 3:00 PM one Friday .7:00 PM I locked up and went home.....I had given a cell phone number , but was never contacted.

When seconds count, the police are only ... wait, what???

Big difference between burglary and robbery. A burglary is a routine non emergency call of a crime already committed. You come home from work and find your house was broken into and the perp is long gone. No need to run code and that call gets put way down the priority list. Look at Houstons response time since they are down hundreds of officers.

I think that is still better then Dallas.

I live in the country. It has only taken LE 45 min and 1 he respectfully to get to me. Both 911 calls. To the Officers credit, neither questioned why I had a 1911 stuck in my waist band .

That's why it pays to live near a speed trap. I have several near my house, and most of the time an officer is less than 10 minutes away. Hopefully, my call would take priority over their speed enforcement duties.

Burglary and robbery doesn't make any difference. Whether the event is active or over makes the difference in response, or should.

NTexCopRetired wrote:Burglary and robbery doesn't make any difference. Whether the event is active or over makes the difference in response, or should.

That's true, property crimes where no actor is present drops down to lower priority. I have heard that in some of the larger departments, the victim just makes a report either by phone or on-line and then can obtain a copy for insurance purposes. I worked in a small department, so we answered all calls in the order they came in, unless there was a serious crime, or traffic accident, to respond to first.

I was sent out in the county to a "burglary in progress" at 0300 hours one time. No one was around when I arrived. As I walked around the house, something hit me square in the behind and nearly knocked me down. I turned quickly, weapon in hand, to discover a herd of goats following me. I almost had cabrito for breakfast. Anyway, when dispatch contacted the complainant, they said they saw a strange car at the house when they drove by at 1600 hours that afternoon. They just forgot to call it in until 0300 hours. Sometimes dispatch doesn't ask enough questions.

NTexCopRetired wrote:I was sent out in the county to a "burglary in progress" at 0300 hours one time. No one was around when I arrived. As I walked around the house, something hit me square in the behind and nearly knocked me down. I turned quickly, weapon in hand, to discover a herd of goats following me. I almost had cabrito for breakfast. Anyway, when dispatch contacted the complainant, they said they saw a strange car at the house when they drove by at 1600 hours that afternoon. They just forgot to call it in until 0300 hours. Sometimes dispatch doesn't ask enough questions.

Been there done that, almost shot a bunch of pigeons who had roosted in the front alcove of an elementary school that had a broken window, The pigeons all decided to take of just as we made our way into the building. Turned out the window had been broken for about a week, but the night janitor had just seen it when he pulled in.

I live about 20 minutes outside of Boerne, I knew when I moved here we would be a long way from law enforcement back up and professional stitches. Therefore, I adjusted my and my families expectations regarding how quickly we will receive help or backup.

I've also seen a significant adjustment in how crimes and auto incidences are responded to and prioritized over the last few years. If there isn't an ongoing immediate threat or risk of bodily injury or death, the priority level is much lower and response time is extended accordingly. Those that are not satisfied with such a tradeoff should consider how much they are willing to pay in additional taxes to hire more EMS responders and law enforcement officers.

Kind of like my barber says, "Quick, good or cheap, you can pick two".

Could have always been in Tulsa this New Year's Eve when their 911 was answering with a recorded message and hanging up.

Redneck_Buddha wrote:Could have always been in Tulsa this New Year's Eve when their 911 was answering with a recorded message and hanging up.

Kind of like being put on hold on the suicide hotline.