A new texting tool is giving the St. Louis County Police Department better information about how its 911 dispatchers are doing.
The department has always sought feedback from people who call 911. Prior to April, the Bureau of Communications would mail about 600 postcards yearly, with about 10% of recipients responding.
The new software automatically sends a text message to most people who call 911 between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Since April 29, more than 6,600 callers have gotten the four-question survey, and more than 34% have responded. Some types of calls, like those for homicides or sexual assaults, are excluded.
In addition to answering questions about the dispatcher’s performance, callers have an opportunity to leave comments that are posted on screens in the dispatch center.
That feedback is helping boost morale among dispatchers, said Capt. Jeremy Romo, the commander of the Bureau of Communications.
“A lot of the people they talk to are not in a good place,” he said. "They often don’t have the opportunity to really see what happens after individuals call in.”
Romo said nearly 90% of respondents are satisfied with the performance of the person who answered their call. He said the most common complaint is wait time, which has improved with better staffing and a tool that diverts nonemergency calls.
The bureau began using a voice assistance tool on its nonemergency line 15 months ago, although all 911 calls are still answered by a live person. That tool has made it possible for dispatchers to answer an emergency call 10 seconds faster, Romo said, and he hopes to reduce the delays even further.
“We are almost fully staffed, which is amazing, and we’re approved to add eight additional telecommunicators to our bureau,” he said.
Romo hopes to have those eight additional dispatchers in the bureau by the end of 2024.
