Philadelphia, PA – The Philadelphia Police Department has acknowledged it is facing difficulties in answering 9-1-1 calls.
Today the department issued the following statement:
Recently, the PPD has received reports from callers expressing unsatisfactory wait times when dialing 911. These reports are accurate, and these increased wait times are due to a number of factors.
As pandemic-related restrictions have eased, the 911 system has experienced a significant increase in call volume. While increased calls during the summer months is not uncommon, our 911 call taking center has also had to contend with staffing shortages. In order to alleviate these issues, the PPD has made temporary adjustments to our 911 employee scheduling in order to provide added resources during peak-call hours.
Additionally, Mayor Kenney recently approved funding for the Managing DIrector’s Office to hire an additional 75 Police Communications Dispatchers to help bolster 911 services. With the additional staffing and reallocation of staffing resources, we are confident that 911 callers will see a decrease in wait times.
Public safety is our number one priority and dispatching appropriate help as quickly and safely as possible is key. To that end, we are providing the following tips to 911 callers that will assist us in sending help as efficiently as possible:
Philadelphia Police Department