Board Finds ‘Unacceptable’ Delay Led To Shooting

A civilian review board has found that a series of dispatcher errors, miscommunications and gang lingo created a 52-minute response delay to a 911 report of a disturbance among teens in West Hartford (Conn.). Police say the disturbance grew and eventually shots were fired, injuring one man. The city’s Civilian Complaint Review board issued a 30-page report that said the police dispatcher who fielded the first 911 call didn’t understand terminology the caller used, including “NBA” (a gang) and “air up my house” (shoot up my house). Consequently, the calltaker classified the incident as a low-priority in CAD. About 30 minutes later the comm center changed shifts, and the on-coming shift believed the incident was a low priority because it had not been dispatched for 30 minutes, and the off-going shift had not briefed them otherwise. Police officials say they’ve changed procedures to better exchange information at shift change, and that dispatchers will receive gang awareness training. Read more about the incident here.