[Vision2020] seattletimes.com: Oregon woman arrested after calling 911 to ask return of "cute" deputy
Joe Campbell
joekc at adelphia.net
Sat Jul 15 15:27:15 PDT 2006
Paul,
In the story below the dispatcher seemed to stay on the phone for quite some time. I'm not sure how it would make matters worse if she'd have thrown in the non-emergency number during the conversation. I don't want to turn 911 into a call-routing system but it seems like there are some better ways that the dispatcher could have handled this particular situation.
I find it interesting that it worries you that you might be "bleeding to death" while people in front of you are "routed to their ultimate destination" yet it doesn't worry you that someone might be breaking into your home while the only available police officer is arresting someone who just wants to take him out on a date. Each strikes me as an unfortuante waste of time.
--
Joe Campbell
---- Paul Rumelhart <godshatter at yahoo.com> wrote:
=============
Joe,
Wouldn't that tend to turn 911 into a call-routing system? I don't
particulary want to wait while I'm bleeding to death for the eight
people in front of me to be routed to their ultimate destination.
That number is for *emergencies*. You know, people being attacked,
dying, in need of medical help right now, etc? I see nothing wrong with
arresting someone for treating it like it was a dating service. I'm
also sure that if that policeman was the only one available and the
choice was arrest an intruder or go arrest that lady, he'd have gotten
to her after the intruder was taken care of.
Paul
As an aside, I remember hearing about someone years ago who was trying
to configure their modem in their office to dial an outside line and
then the number. Instead of dialing 9, 1, and then the number they were
repeatedly dialing 9, 9, 1, 1, and then the number and then hanging up
when there was no connection from a modem on the other end and trying a
different configuration. They ended up making many calls to 911 that
lasted for a few seconds each. The police (wherever they were, I don't
remember - it might have been here) busted in like they were a SWAT
team. I don't remember if they got arrested - I doubt it since it
wasn't intentional - but you never know.
Joe Campbell wrote:
>Here is what is particularly funny about this story, Carl: If you call 911 for a non-emergency reason, they will send out a police officer to arrest you since you are "taking up valuable time from dispatchers who could be taking true emergency calls." The fact that the police officer is taking the time to arrest someone for making a phone call is apparently not "taking up valuable time" from officer, though. Wouldn't it be easier if they had just given the woman the non-emergency number?
>
>--
>Joe Campbell
>
>---- carlwestberg846 at hotmail.com wrote:
>
>=============
>This message was sent to you by carlwestberg846 at hotmail.com,
>as a service of The Seattle Times (http://www.seattletimes.com).
>
>Comments from sender: This is just too funny not to share.
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Oregon woman arrested after calling 911 to ask return of "cute" deputy
>Full story: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003127178_webcutearrest14.html
>
>
>The Associated Press
>
>
>
> ALOHA, Ore.– A woman who called 911 to ask for the return of sheriff's deputy she found attractive got something she found a lot less attractive -- a date in court for misuse of the emergency dispatch system.
>
> Washington County sheriff's Sgt. David Thompson told KGW Television of Portland the situation developed after a noise complaint last month by neighbors of Lorna Jeanne Dudash. Checking on the complaint, a deputy knocked on her door, then left.
>
> Thompson said Dudash then called 911, asking that the "cutie pie" deputy return.
>
> "He's the cutest cop I've seen in a long time. I just want to know his name," Dudash told the dispatcher. "Heck, it doesn't come very often a good man comes to your doorstep."
>
> After listening to some more, followed by a bit of silence, the dispatcher asked repeatedly why Dudash needed the deputy to return.
>
> "Honey, I'm just going to be honest with you, OK? I just thought he was cute. I'm 45 years old and I'd just like to meet him again, but I don't know how to go about doing that without calling 911," she said.
>
> "I know this is absolutely not in any way, shape or form an emergency, but if you would give the officer my phone number and ask him to come back would you mind?"
>
> The deputy returned, verified that there was no emergency and arrested her for misusing the 911 system, an offense punishable by a fine of up to several thousand dollars and a year in jail.
>
> Thompson said it was the first case he knew of in which someone called the emergency line for such a personal reason.
>
> "That's taking up valuable time from dispatchers who could be taking true emergency calls," he said. "Apparently she didn't know how to look up the non-emergency number."
>
>
>
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