The use of 911 calls is on the rise. Let's find alternative solutions if no threat to life

The use of 911 calls for civil issues reflects a concerning reliance on police to extend beyond their main responsibility of public safety and address every issue or minor inconvenience. Not only does this create more work for police, but it also contributes to unnecessary escalation and criminalization of behaviors that can better be addressed in other ways. Involving the police pulls funding from the services and departments better suited to address these noncriminal matters.

Crime rates are declining in Oklahoma City, but the number of calls serviced by 911 are on the rise. During a recent city council meeting, Oklahoma City Police Chief Wade Gourley mentioned projections for the current fiscal year show that out of 1.2 million calls, only 1.7% of those calls are Priority 1 calls that require immediate response due to the risk of an immediate threat to life.

While calling the police may provide an immediate response to unwanted behavior, it isn’t a long-term solution and shouldn’t be used as a catch-all. Often there are other numbers one may call that are better suited to address the issue, like 211 or 988.

The launch of 988 has increased access to programs aimed to help individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Offering services instead of criminalization has decreased the number of arrests resulting from these incidents and allowed mental health experts to step in instead of law enforcement. Homelessness is a similar issue that is more suitably addressed by a service-based solution, not a criminal one.

In the meantime, we need to remember that police are intended to address public safety. Law enforcement officers are neither trained nor intended to serve as social workers, and it’s not a role they want to play. 911 operators are being trained to re-route calls more appropriately, but we, the public, also must do our part to find better long-term solutions.

In addition to the potential for escalation and unnecessary criminalization of nondangerous behavior, there is another cost to 911 overuse. The standard for police response to Priority 1 calls is to respond within 9 minutes and 30 seconds for 80% of calls. In Oklahoma City, the percentage of Priority 1 calls responded to within that time frame has declined year-over-year and currently stands at between 60-65%. Fewer unnecessary calls could help them increase their ability to quickly respond to the highest priority calls and fulfill their public safety mission.

When there’s not a threat to public safety, call a councilperson, the mayor or the appropriate government department. Let’s talk to our neighbors and elected officials to find solutions to issues in our community and let the police focus on public safety.

Sue Ann Arnall is president of the Arnall Family Foundation and an Oklahoma County jail trust member.