It’s one of the most basic – and critical – services provided by any city: Call 911 in an emergency and get a quick response.
But for crime victims in New Orleans, police response times have skyrocketed as the number of cops has diminished. Delays can mean the difference between life and death, between solving a crime and allowing a predator to strike again.
Along with our partners at The New Orleans Advocate, WWL-TV analyzed almost three million calls for service and produced one of the most definitive and detailed independent measures of police response times anywhere in the country. We found that NOPD response times to 911 calls have tripled since 2010 to an average wait of 79 minutes, saddling New Orleans with some of the longest police response times of any major American city.
In our multi-part series, “NOPD: Call Waiting,” we chronicled the frustration and, in some cases, heartache over 911 calls that took too long to answer. Through interactive maps, we allowed citizens to check response times in their neighborhoods. Finally, we demanded answers from the police chief and other city leaders, leading to reform measures that continue to take shape today.
-- Mike Perlstein --