Understaffed and overwhelmed – that is the current state of affairs for Seattle’s Community Safety and Communications Center. As a direct consequence, response times to 911 calls for help are meeting long delays in Seattle. No doubt that could potentially lead to the undermining of community safety. Sadly, a solution to this problem is likely not going to happen any time soon. The only thing the Communications Center can do at this point is prioritize the calls it receives. Some calls simply aren’t being answered at all, and the Seattle Police Department’s own staffing shortages are only compounding things because they are having a difficult time responding to the calls that are even being fielded.
Mayor Jenny Durkan proposed, and the Seattle City Council authorized, incentives to get more dispatchers to apply, but training the new hires is not instantaneous. Currently, dispatchers have a vacancy rate of 19% within the Communications Center. While the newly hired dispatchers are being trained, the Communications Center is focusing on handling calls that need an immediate response, even if it comes at the expense of other urgent calls for assistance. Surely a scary prospect when we are talking Seattle public safety, especially when you add into the equation that the SPD is also understaffed and may be slow to respond to calls. We all best be on our best behavior during these trying times, our community’s safety requires it.
Sometimes good people make a bad decision. If that is you, and you find yourself on the wrong side of the law, immediately contact a Seattle Criminal Attorney. A Criminal lawyer is not going to judge you, and understands that everyone makes mistakes. Hiring a Seattle Criminal Lawyer to help can – at a minimum – reduce penalties, and can help direct people on how to best deal with their criminal charge, and many times even get them dismissed. So it should go without saying that someone cited for a misdemeanor or felony should hire a qualified Seattle Criminal Lawyer as soon as possible. Criminal charges can cause havoc on a person’s personal and professional life. Anyone charged with a crime in Washington State should immediately seek the assistance of a seasoned Seattle Criminal Lawyer – like the attorneys at SQ Attorneys!
