HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - August 18, 1993 (58)CITY COUNCIL MEETING
August 18, 1993
COMPLAINT REGARDING 911 SYSTEM
George Newmarch, P.O. Box 355, Lodi, expressed his
dissatisfaction with the City of Lodi 911 System. The City
Manager was directed to contact Mr. Newmarch to discuss the
matter.
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FILE NO. ; ,:-,15•
COMMENTS BY MR. GEORGE NEWMARCH
AT THE AUGUST 18, 1993 CITY COUNCIL MEETING
REGARDING THE CITY OF LODI 911 EMERGENCY SYSTEM
Newmarch: Mr. Mayor, City Council. I am George Newmarch, Post Office Box
355, Lodi, California, USA.
I'm just a poor country bumpkin trying to be a good citizen.
Sometimes it would be easier to be a bad one. For instance, take
what happened to me the other day in Lodi. I was driving home
from work in my old Ford. On Rutledge, I came upon about a dozen
teenagers ruining around in the street and throwing golf ball size
rocks at each other. They wouldn't let me pass through, so I made
a U-turn and went home another way. I figured somebody would get
run over or otherwise hurt, so I called 911. That was a big
mistake on my part. That call ruined the rest of the day for me.
I should have been a bad citizen and forgot the whole thing. The
grumpy 911 operator asked me if my call was a matter of life or
death. My answer was "no", because at the time it wasn't. The
grumpy operator told me my call was not an emergency, that I
shouldn't have called 911, and that I should have called the
non -emergency number. Her tone of voice made me feel like a
criminal, for a moment anyway. Then I got real indignant. I
remembered that about 2-1/2 hours before an adult male was beaten
by a group of young people in the same neighborhood. Also, I
remembered that around Christmas time I had called 911, was
connected to Lodi Police Dispatch, and quickly had the problem
taken care of, and that wasn't a matter of life and death either.
I decided that it was time to complain about 911. I found the
non -emergency number after about five minutes thumbing through the
Lodi phone book. I dialed it, but I got no answer. Then I called
Chief Hansen's office. An extremely courteous lady there
connected me with the Watch Commander. I told him of my problem
and learned a very interesting thing about Lodi's 911 system. And
that's why I am here talking to you tonight. According to the
Watch Commander, the Lodi 911 operator cannot connect the caller
with the Lodi Police Dispatch Office. The caller has to hang up
and dial themselves. Why my call at Christmas time was successful
was because I had called on a cellular telephone which
automatically has the call routed through the Highway Patrol 911
operator, instead of the Lodi 911 operator. The CHP system allows
the 911 caller to be connected to Lodi Dispatch while the Lodi 911
system does not. It seems that Lodi with its "we've got to be
first" - ndrome may have been first in getting the 911 system, but
they may have gotten one that has some deficiencies.
I have two requests of the City Council. I realize you may not be
able to act on them tonight, but perhaps you can have it acted on
somehow or - other. My first request is check and find out if what
I've been told is true, assuming it is, get the 911 system fixed.
Getting Police assistance shouldn't be an ordeal for the citizen.
My second request, have criteria or guidelines put in with our
utility bills telling citizens under what circumstances they can
and cannot call Lodi 911. Do we have to see lots of blood, body
parts, or what before we can call 911. Does it really have to be
a life or death situation as the 911 operator indicated to me.
Let us citizens know.
911 PHONE CALL PLACED BY MR. GEORGE NEWMARCH
ON AUGUST 10, 1993
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Dispatcher: 911, what's your emergency?
Newmarch: Hi, there's a group of kids throwing rocks across Rutledge Drive.
They made me btop...
Dispatcher: Okay, Sir, next time don't use the 911 for this, okay...
Newmarch: Okay.
Dispatcher: ...But I'll have someone go through the area, okay.
Newmarch: Okay, I'll just beat 'em up myself...,okay.
Dispatcher: Excuse me?...What's that?
(AT THIS POINT, MR. NEWMARCH ENDED THE CONVERSATION BY HANGING UP THE RECEIVER)