An advocacy group tackles the issue of making the 911 system work better.
The advocacy group Forward Through Ferguson issued a report on the region's troubled 9-1-1 system, and what might be done to make things better. Communications Director Jia Lian Yang says the report finds a lack of coordination is one of the biggest problems.
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"So it's not that the 911 system itself is uniquely inefficient, fragmented and troubled" explains Yang, "it is a reflection of the fact that our region as a whole is fractured. We have all of these municipalities, 88 municipalities by our last count, we have 53 police departments."
And Yang points out the vast majority of calls do not require an armed officer response, but that's almost always who ends up being dispatched.
The group is suggesting regional coordination, and better use of resources when it comes to sending the right kind of responder to each situation. The report is online at transforming911.org.
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