Major changes are coming to the Dallas police department when it comes to officers responding to calls, and in some cases officers may not be responding at all.
The Dallas Police Department is moving to what's known as an "incident reporting system." Reports say dispatchers will refer people who call police for what are deemed low priority calls to the Dallas Online Reporting System or DORS. That system has been an option for callers for the past couple years. Now it will be mandatory.
Police say 'low priority incidents' that will be directed to DORS may include: car accidents, burglary of a motor vehicle, criminal mischief, graffiti, identity theft, lost property, reckless damage, and theft by shoplifting.
If the incident you are reporting has a known suspect, you should instead call us, says the DORS website.
The Department says DORS is the same investigative process as if an officer did respond to the scene, without the need for one.
Police officials say this process will free up officers for other things.
911 administrator Robert Uribe says any system is better than what they have now. "Low priority calls have an extended wait time today. If you report loud music today, you are often waiting multiple hours before a police officer might respond," says Uribe. "We have to evaluate who can provide a more immediate service."
The move should free up an estimated 135,000 patrol hours, or the equivalent of 65 patrol officers, each year.
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