St. Louis city officials have said they want to combine police, fire and EMS dispatchers and upgrade the outdated 9-1-1 system in the city. However, some say combining the agencies won't immediately solve their problems.
Sergeant Donnell Walters told KMOX that combining the systems won't create any results for more than a year.
"We still have to build this new call center. Once you build it, then you have to equip it, then you have to really realize how we are going to filter calls for service to police, fire department and dispatch," he said. "So there's still at least two years away that this combination of services will come together."
He said it's important to have something that can help people as soon as possible — because right now, the systems in place are not working.
"Some people are like, 'Why am I even calling?' Some people are choosing to just come to the station and make a report because they're finding that it's a faster service than dialing 9-1-1," he said. "What if someone's child is sick, and they're panicking? These are individuals that are angry, that are scared and are concerned. And we all know if you are angry or afraid your way of thinking is not always clear, because you have a built up emotion."
So what can the city do? Sergeant Walters said it's up to the citizens to hold people in power accountable and make sure their voices are heard.
"It's time for the citizens to start being heard, stop being shut out, stop being just pacified and realistically are being heard," he said. "And that's what's happening. They're being pacified. And they're being shut out. We're not listening to our elderly and our older residents. We're not holding our elected officials accountable."
Hear more from Sergeant Walters on the police, fire, and EMS systems and what he sees as solutions:
Copyright 2022 KMOX (Audacy). All Rights Reserved.
Follow KMOX | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Listen on the free Audacy app.
Tell your smart speaker to play K M O X.
