CO-Under new 911 plan, Dignitaries and Officials get better, faster, 911 response.

Well, in light of what increasingly happens when you call 911 and get cops, all I can say is, good.

Some animals are more equal than others.



"Dignitaries" get enhanced 911 response in wake of new Denver rules

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_25640427/dignitaries-get-enhanced-911-response-wake-new-denver#ixzz30LJr1eLb

Colorado's governor, Denver's mayor and other dignitaries receive a more robust Denver police response than the public under new rules recently adopted by the city's 911 system.

The policy change, which went into effect at the end of December, requires Denver police dispatchers to notify a patrol supervisor when "Federal, State or Local Dignitaries (such as the Mayor or Governor) or personnel within their office requests or requires a police response on the dignitary's behalf."

By comparison, Aurora dispatch doesn't have such a policy.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock's office in October complained about having to wait for more than 35 minutes for a dispatcher to send a patrol unit to respond to a burglary report from the office.

That incident culminated in the firing of the dispatcher, who contends the mayor's office should have had to wait like everyone else for police resources to become available.

Rowena Alegria, Hancock's director of communications, said the mayor's office did not seek the firing. The mayor also did not request the new policy, she said.

Under police-dispatch policies for the public, dispatchers are supposed to first try to deploy precinct police patrols for non-emergency calls and then go down a list of potential alternative police resources if precinct units are busy. Dispatchers inform patrol supervisors after an hour passes without response, and then each hour after that.

Daelene Mix, director of communications for the city's safety department, said the policy change was not prompted by the handling of the burglary report from the mayor's office.

"It was done to ensure appropriate awareness," Mix said. "It makes sense that patrol supervisors should be informed when a dignitary's safety may be compromised, as dignitaries move all over the city and patrol supervisors are rarely aware of their location unless notified."

She added that enhanced patrol supervisor notifications are given to calls received from the public in some instances such as Amber alerts or domestic-violence situations involving a weapon.