Victim of Detroit's 911

**SWMAP** · May-05-09, 02:17 PM

I am mesmerized by the "Victim of a Crime" thread and think we need to list all the stupidities and nastinest of Detroit's 911 operators. Maybe someone will see it.

last week iIcalled in a non-emergency to 911 [[ 311 does not work most of the time). Anyway, the problem was on Campbell Ave. Now I have lived in Detroit all my life; my mothers ancestors came with Cadillac and had ribbon farms - that's how far back my Detroit connections go. I possess a B.A. from Marygrove College. I think I know the correct pronunciation of the word Campbell.

The operator was unhappy about my request for police service and she couldn't get the name of the street right. Finally, spelled it and she said "Kemball. You are pronouncing it wrong." What! I said and she repeated that I need to pronounce the street names right, that I was saying Caampbell instead of the correct Kembell.

Anyway, I am sick of the 911 operators and this was the last straw. I hung up and waited a moment and called back, asking a new operator if I could speak with a supervisor - who was great. But she said one thing that dismayed me. She said that she was going to check whether the operator "put in the ticket." I took it that 911 operators siometimes make their own decisions about what gets answered.

lilpup · May-05-09, 02:44 PM

Do you realize you can be ticketed for non-emergency calls to 9-1-1?

**SWMAP** · May-05-09, 02:47 PM

Blockading a street is not an emergency - but it needs a police response.

**AQCE** · May-05-09, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by lilpup

Do you realize you can be ticketed for non-emergency calls to 9-1-1?

I've called Detroit police precincts in the past to report non-emergency items [[i.e. abandoned vehicle in the parking lot where I work) and I was told to call 911. I was flabbergasted and thought I'd surely be admonished by the 911 operator, but to my surprise they took the call without issue and the vehicle was gone the next day.

**Ray1936** · May-05-09, 04:03 PM

Back in the 'good old days' [[say, 40 years ago), the Bell switchboard on the 6th floor of 1300 Beaubien was manned by police officers. Usually they were guys who suffered a disability or were otherwise on light duty. The number was WO 2-5700. There were about 25 incoming lines, sequential from "00". Made it easier to dial WO 2-5711 on a rotary phone, which is all there was back then. But not many people knew that 'secret'.

Anyway, all calls were answered promptly, I can assure you. And a supervisor was always listening in to the six positions; you never knew which position he was listening to. I think there were eight operator positions, but the last two were only used on Friday and Saturday nights.

The operator took the information and passed it on to the dispatcher. I don't care if your complaint was a barking dog at 1 a.m.; you got a police car sent.

Hell, there were 15 precincts and each precinct had an average of ten 2-man cars on patrol at all times, plus a 4-man cruiser [[big four), a couple of booster cars who didn't get runs, and a handful of beat men......24/7.

Of course, you had a department of nearly 5,000 sworn officers. I think it's closer to 2,000 now.

But I was proud to be part of the City of Detroit back then. I wouldn't give you a plugged nickle for it today.

**softailrider** · May-05-09, 06:33 PM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

I am mesmerized by the "Victim of a Crime" thread and think we need to list all the stupidities and nastinest of Detroit's 911 operators. Maybe someone will see it.

last week iIcalled in a non-emergency to 911 [[ 311 does not work most of the time). Anyway, the problem was on Campbell Ave. Now I have lived in Detroit all my life; my mothers ancestors came with Cadillac and had ribbon farms - that's how far back my Detroit connections go. I possess a B.A. from Marygrove College. I think I know the correct pronunciation of the word Campbell.

The operator was unhappy about my request for police service and she couldn't get the name of the street right. Finally, spelled it and she said "Kemball. You are pronouncing it wrong." What! I said and she repeated that I need to pronounce the street names right, that I was saying Caampbell instead of the correct Kembell.

Anyway, I am sick of the 911 operators and this was the last straw. I hung up and waited a moment and called back, asking a new operator if I could speak with a supervisor - who was great. But she said one thing that dismayed me. She said that she was going to check whether the operator "put in the ticket." I took it that 911 operators siometimes make their own decisions about what gets answered.

With all the talented people looking for work these days, why does the city hire morons? It's almost like they enjoy acting stupid.

**Detroitej72** · May-05-09, 06:38 PM

Originally Posted by softailrider

With all the talented people looking for work these days, why does the city hire morons? It's almost like they enjoy acting stupid.

They are called civil servants, and they are protected by the unions against firings and reprimands. Many seem to act as if they are owed a job and should be thrown out on their butts!

**Fnemecek** · May-05-09, 07:04 PM

Hell, there were 15 precincts and each precinct had an average of ten 2-man cars on patrol at all times, plus a 4-man cruiser [[big four), a couple of booster cars who didn't get runs, and a handful of beat men......24/7.

Of course, you had a department of nearly 5,000 sworn officers. I think it's closer to 2,000 now.

Wow! I envy everyone who lived in Detroit back then - at least for being able to support those numbers.

Today, I can't even get the cops to show up when there's a shooting in my neighborhood.

**Patrick** · May-05-09, 07:23 PM

Hell, there were 15 precincts and each precinct had an average of ten 2-man cars on patrol at all times, plus a 4-man cruiser [[big four), a couple of booster cars who didn't get runs, and a handful of beat men......24/7.

Of course, you had a department of nearly 5,000 sworn officers. I think it's closer to 2,000 now.

Cant even imagine how nice it was to live in a time when you didn't even have to lock your doors at night.

**Ray1936** · May-05-09, 08:18 PM

It was great back then. The morale in the DPD was admirable. On the midnight shift, if a crew didn't find a business B&E in their territory, they not only heard about it from supervision, but their colleagues would give 'em the razzberries over it. Happened to me once at the Royal York bar on Grand River just west of 14th. Guys got in by breaking a little tiny window, reaching in, and unlatching the door. We didn't spot that broken window and heard about it in spades the next day. Damn, we were pissed about it!

No car computers back then, of course. Each crew maintained a stolen car board with all the license numbers properly entered into a 100-square board...much like a football pool card. Squares were numbered from 00 to 99. The first two digits of the license plate determined which square it went in. So AB 3657 went into the 36 square as AB57. When the 3-letter 3-digit plates started, same thing, and VDN867 went in the 86 box as VDN7. Everyone took pride in keeping their board up to date.

Until 1965, you couldn't even use the radio to get a name check on someone; you had to take him/her down to the nearest call box and use the police telephone lines to the warrant office. With the advent of the PREP [[portable) radios, channels became available for radio checks. If you wanted a registration on a license plate, you had to call the Auto Squad, and the officer there would have to look it up through stacks of registration copies in a couple hundred looseleaf books. Today you just punch in a license number on your computer [[along with the correct code) and get the name and addy of the owner instantly.

Aw, shit, I'm living in the past again............

**Philbo** · May-05-09, 10:21 PM

Hey Ray, I heard the D.P.D were poorly payed back then. Is that true?

**Ray1936** · May-05-09, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by Philbo

Hey Ray, I heard the D.P.D were poorly payed back then. Is that true?

Yeah, you wern't going to get rich. I think it was 1963 when we finally got up to $5,000 a year. And all overtime was paid in comp time, no cash.

Up until 1947, the officers in the DPD had to buy their own uniforms, too.

**slick** · May-06-09, 09:01 AM

[quote=Ray1936;15848]Back in the 'good old days'
you got a police car sent.

Hell, there were 15 precincts and each precinct had an average of ten 2-man cars on patrol at all times, plus a 4-man cruiser [[big four), a couple of booster cars who didn't get runs, and a handful of beat men......24/7.

Ray,
You are so correct. I worked at Belle Isle radio, civilian tech from 75-96.
One of the biggest complaint was officers on the street. How can you answer runs when you only have 2 cars on the street per precint.

my 2 cents.

**GREENTROIT** · May-06-09, 09:37 AM

I'm sure that "back in the day" the DPD was great, and Detroit was filled with lollipop forests, chocalate waterfalls, and unicorns sliding down rainbows. Is it just me, or are most old-timers obsessed with three things:

1. Everything was good back in my day.

2. Things aren't as good as they used to be.

3. Back in my day, things were better than they are now.

**exdetroiter** · May-06-09, 10:01 AM

Yes, but I am not old, but things were much better for me back in the 80s, good music, carefree attitudes, more choices in men, everything was all good.

**slick** · May-06-09, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by exdetroiter

Yes, but I am not old, but things were much better for me back in the 80s, , more choices in men, .

Hey exdetroiter,

The older you get the larger the playing field for the opposite sex,
20-80, now if you want to talk about better choices, we need a new topic.

**Ray1936** · May-06-09, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by GREENTROIT

I'm sure that "back in the day" the DPD was great, and Detroit was filled with lollipop forests, chocalate waterfalls, and unicorns sliding down rainbows. Is it just me, or are most old-timers obsessed with three things:

1. Everything was good back in my day.

2. Things aren't as good as they used to be.

3. Back in my day, things were better than they are now.

Naw, there's no obsession here, Green. It's just a matter of fact. The baby boomers screwed it up.

**GREENTROIT** · May-06-09, 12:09 PM

I know Ray, I was just trying to make jokes. Each generation thinks theirs is the best, when the truth probably lies somewhere in between. Each decade provided its own benefits to society and detractions from progress. But since I was born 50 years after you, I'm with you on blaming the baby boomers! I'm considered what... very late end of Generation X I think.

**Pam** · May-06-09, 12:11 PM

The baby boomers screwed it up

The decline of Detroit can't be explained in one sentence. [[and the decline started before baby boomers were in power.)

**xD_Brklyn** · May-06-09, 12:46 PM

Better or not, always appreciate a good story with some low-tech solution in it. Thanks Ray

Retroit · May-06-09, 01:37 PM

Now I know who to call to get the "official" pronunciation of street names.

**DetroitPlanner** · May-06-09, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by AQCE

I've called Detroit police precincts in the past to report non-emergency items [[i.e. abandoned vehicle in the parking lot where I work) and I was told to call 911. I was flabbergasted and thought I'd surely be admonished by the 911 operator, but to my surprise they took the call without issue and the vehicle was gone the next day.

This has happened to me too, when I try to explain to the officer, that I am calling for information or to report say a hooker, and it does not warrant a call to 911, I am told they cannot react unless they get calls through 911!

Its insanity at its finest. Put extra layers and steps in the system and wonder why the response rate is so poor!

**DocTerry** · May-07-09, 09:32 AM

Yes - I've also been directed to call 911 when it wasn't an "emergency" and initially called the non-emergency number. And when it was, and dispatch could hear the man on my porch threatening me and said they were sending someone, no one ever showed up. I received an apology for failing to respond the next day, and an offer to send someone over then [[I declined the offer).

**Gsgeorge** · May-07-09, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

Yeah, you wern't going to get rich. I think it was 1963 when we finally got up to $5,000 a year. And all overtime was paid in comp time, no cash.

Up until 1947, the officers in the DPD had to buy their own uniforms, too.

Ray, love reading your firsthand accounts from back in the day. For the record, in 2009 dollars your yearly pay comes out to about $35,000 a year.

**Ray1936** · May-07-09, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by Gsgeorge

Ray, love reading your firsthand accounts from back in the day. For the record, in 2009 dollars your yearly pay comes out to about $35,000 a year.

I'm not sure what the current pay rate is, but it's not a heck of a lot more due to the city's financial state. Police officers in other jurisdictions, however, are making up to twice that today. With paid overtime, a lot make 100k.

I always liked the comp time factor for the overtime, until the Labor Department had laws passed requiring pay. I'd build up a lot of 'comp time' and take a lot of four-day weekends in the summer.

I can remember roll calls where all cars were manned and there were a slew of beat men. The lieutenant would often ask, "anybody want comp time today?" [[Usually weren't many takers 'cause you were already at work, but some guys would opt for four hours.)