All requests for police services are assigned by priority, based on seriousness of the incident and the potential for injury or damage to property. At times, calls of a less urgent nature must be delayed so that we can respond immediately to emergencies. In addition, due to budgetary constraints, shifts often work with fewer officers than needed.
Dispatchers are trained to get as much information as possible to best determine the nature of the problem and its seriousness. This is done for your safety along with the safety of the responding officers. On emergency calls, the dispatcher will send the information to the officers while asking you additional questions. That means that the officers are already on the way while you are answering these questions.