Class, please read this report on the 911 system (also found under the readings tab on OpenLab). What does the analysis on the 911 system reveal about the need in communities and how they be better addressed instead of calling the police? (Please also discuss anything else that comes to mind).
Please be sure to respond to at least *two* other student posts.
*Be sure to review the discussion board grading rubric found under Course Materials to know the expectations for participation*
Based on the article ” 911 and 311 (nonemergency) systems discussed how patterns of calls could be used not only to proactively police, but also to alter how policing resources are distributed”. There are many calls to 911 operators, even non emergency once. Not everything have to reported to 911 such as needing a shelter, or complaint about loud noise at the neighborhoods or ask for direction or vandalism, etc. The article talks about how the triage program has helped reduce the use of 011 resources by collecting data and checking to see if its emergency or nonemergency. Triage program is nurses that sit alongside 911 dispatchers and can set up medical appointments. There was another program in Baltimore City fire department, where there was repeated calls who didn’t need the fire departments but had questions. These kind of programs can reduce the numbers of call to 911.
Hey Mehrangiz, I see your point that there are many calls to 911 operators, even non-emergency ones. And not everything has to report to 911 such as needing a shelter, or complaints about loud noise in the neighborhoods or ask for direction or vandalism, etc. Most of these reports cause a waste of time and resources of the police department.
Hey Mehrangiz,
I agree with what you stated, “not everything has to reported to 911 such as needing a shelter, or complaint about loud noise at the neighborhoods or ask for direction or vandalism, etc”. Such calls like that can be avoided if its correctly addressed. When police officers are dealing with calls like that, they could have been somewhere where actual crime has been committed and in need of their presence and attention. I do agree with what the article has mentioned. The triage program is a great idea. That is to help reduce the use of 011 resources by collecting data and checking to see whether or not if it’s an emergency or not. So, therefore I do agree with your response.
Hello Mehrangiz,
I agree with you many times individuals tend too use the 911 system for non emergency reasons. For Example as you stated many individuals may use the system for loud music playing or dogs barking too loud. These issues can easily be resorted between the individuals in the community while also allowing the 911 system to respond to urgent important emergencies which can potentially save many peoples lives.
Great Response
Hello Mehrangiz,
I agree with you many times individuals tend too use the 911 system for non emergency reasons. For Example as you stated many individuals may use the system for loud music playing or dogs barking too loud. These issues can easily solved while also allowing the 911 system to respond to urgent important emergencies which can potentially save many peoples lives.
Great Response
I agree with what you said on how “not everything have to reported to 911 such as needing a shelter, or complaint about loud noise at the neighborhoods or ask for direction or vandalism, etc.” Because its true we shouldn’t send officers to get take care of things like vandalism or even disorderedly children.
Hi Mehrangiz, you have a point, because while someone is on the phone with a dispatcher about something less important or not urgent, someone could be in great danger and so on.
I agree with you on the fact that not everything has to be reported. which is why it is very helpful that they’re other lines you can call such as 211 and 311 or even the crisis hotline so that police are giving more leeway to deal with more emergent cases.
According to the report, the analysis on the 911 system reveals the need in communities and how they are better addressed instead of calling the police is by involving the call-takers to make more precise decisions on whether or not to perform dispatch services on locations that might not be serious crime. Call-takers are sometimes vulnerable to fall for prank calls thereby wasting the time of the officers and other units that responded to the situation. Some police departments have already established methods to promote efficiencies in police response by creating alternative ways for community members to report issues when sworn personnel are not necessary. 911 plays a vital role in U.S law enforcement.
Hey Chima Okereke,
I agree with your response. The article does indeed tell us as a community, what to do to avoid call takers. It is not right wasting an officer’s time because their time could be somewhere where it is needed. I think that is completely wrong for people to do that. There are crimes that are being committed every second, so it is important for officers to be there. The fact that people jokes around and does prank calls is honestly just wrong. I agree with what you have stated, “911 plays a vital role in U.S. law enforcement”. So, therefore I agree with your response.
Hi Chuma, I do agree with you when you said call-takers are sometimes vulnerable to fall for prank calls thereby wasting the time of the officers and other units that responded to the situation. If police officers keeps arriving to places that are not in danger then it takes time away to help someone else that can be possibly be in real danger rather than a fake one. To add on some police departments have made many methods to help better the situation of receiving many unnecessary 911 calls. Many police departments have an operator who can talk and direct anyone to the dispatcher they actually need to receive the best help they can get from the right people, and this helps a lot with reducing so many 911 calls. Lastly, you did a great job on this discussion board keep up the great work and stay safe!
Hello Chima,
I agree with you the 911 system is essentially an easy way to communicate and ask for urgent help during an emergency. Many times certain individuals tend to overuse the 911 system and call for help because of non emergency uses which can be resorted between the two individuals in the community such as playing loud music. I agree with your statement “Call-takers are sometimes vulnerable to fall for prank calls thereby wasting the time of the officers and other units that responded to the situation”.
Great Response
911 does play a vital roles in how police respond to calls but the calls can be overwhelming and have little to do with police intervention. For this reason there is a need for more resources that can be used to help 911 callers in assisting the public. One way is to assign civilian to answer calls that do not involve police assist like mental health calls, loud noise, or loitering. Another is to have programs to help in assisting the community with disturbance issues, non violent issues and landlord issues. Community policing can be put into effect safely and assist police in dealing with the public.
Hi Neysa,
I feel like they should have an extension number for none urgent calls. For example, if you’re lost you should call 911 ext 2. So that it can take the stress off the dispatchers.
The analysis on the 911 system reveals about the need in communities is that there are certain calls analysis receives are like piety crimes. Such piety crimes are like calling for no reason. Calls to 911 should be for an emergency such as robbery or even something that will help with officers catching a criminal. Such calls like the neighbors are playing loud music, attend to the people that are known as ‘Karens’, or even getting calls about the neighbors’ kids opening those water pumps that flood the street. I mean for that I get it cause water is going to waste but that can be an act of fun and for the people in the community to get together and become a whole. For calls like that is such a waste of time. Attending to such calls like that can waste time for the police officers cause they could be somewhere where a crime has been committed and in need of their presence. To avoid calling the police, such matters as that can be addressed. Adults can get together and talk with no physical violence happening. There are constantly crimes that are being committed every second. Murder, robbery, in need of medical attention such things like that needs more attention too. Such calls can be avoided and the article has listed many ways how it can be avoided. According to the article, “eliminating certain calls for service by transferring them to more appropriate services or simply no generating a call for service, including barking dogs (redirected to animal control), loose livestock, stalled vehicles, lost electronic devices, establishing a Theft Reduction Apprehension Program where the police department trains store loss prevention personnel to process shoplifters, complete forms, and write a trespass letter and direct the person found shoplifting to respond to the substation to receive a citation (no call for service generated) and status offenses (police personnel do not intervene in any juvenile status offenses other than runaway incidents or underage drinking).
Hey Anika, I see your point and I agree with you that calls to 911 should be for an emergency such as robbery or even something that will help with officers catching a criminal. But with the situation you mentioned about adults taking a big role in solving some violence that doesn’t require the police, I don’t see that happening anytime soon because most people tend to mind their own business when there is a fight or sometimes record the whole fight without taking any action. I feel like the Reduction Apprehension Program is a good program to process shoplifters, complete forms, and write a trespass letter.
Hi Anika,
I agree with you that “Karen” waste the resource.
In my opinion, “Karen” is exactly the product of self-centrism. Since “Karen”s have never tried to respect individuals but consider others as a group no matter based on what, as long as something is different than their imagination or assumption, they can not accept the conflict between reality and the assumption. Ironically, “Karen” is also the represent of double standards. If they produce some noise, then it might be “party” instead of something that should be reported to the police. Although maybe I am not politically correct, somehow, I feel if people cannot understand and accept each other, voluntarily segregation is the only way to solve this problem.
Yes I agree with your answer, while a officer could have been dealing with more important, serious matter they were send to deal with loud music and non emergency cases. These things takes officers time.
Police spend an inordinate amount of time responding to 911 calls for service. While most of these calls are unrelated to crimes in progress, police often respond with the tool that is most familiar and expedient to them which is enforcement. This exhausts police resources and exposes countless people to avoidable criminal justice system contacts. There is a pressing need for data informed strategies to identify 911 calls that present a true public safety emergency and require an immediate police response, while responding to other calls in ways that do not tax limited policing resources and promote better outcomes for the people involved and the communities where they reside. To add on this report summarizes the current state of 911 research, discusses the problems and potential of current 911 data collection practices, and recommends steps that law enforcement and emergency communications professionals can take to conserve resources and help ensure that the right response reaches the right caller at the right time. As the United States continues to evaluate the role of police in communities, a better understanding of how 911 intersects with policing will be crucial to developing a criminal justice system that is smaller, smarter, and more equitable.
The analysis of the 911 system reveals a lot about the needs in communities and how they can be better addressed instead of resorting to call for emergency help automatically. The 911 system is used as a convenient way to call for help during an emergency. Many individuals overuse the 911 system for issues that are not considered emergencies and that don’t involve urgent help needed. For Example many individuals would use the 911 system for reasons such as loud music playing or a dog in the community barking too loud. Issues like these can be easily resorted and in situations like these the 911 system should not be used. These issues can be resorted through communication between the two individuals. I believe the 911 system should be used strictly for emergency’s such as Theft, Burglary, a car accident, when someone is having a Heart attack and any type of medical emergency or crime.
Hi Feezan,
I agree with you that 911 calls should be used strictly for emergencies only, but I do not believe theft is an emergency since normally, we can not catch thefts in progress and it is not something that needs immediate assistance.
I also agree with you that the government should encourage residents to use more alternative calls, such as 311 to solve non-emergencies or try to solve conflicts through negotiation or communication between two individuals.
Hello Feezan,
I agree with you that many individuals tend to use 911 calls for emergencies that aren’t really considered emergencies like for parties with loud noises, animals disturbing in a building are some examples of non serious situations. In my opinion, I feel like when dealing with those situations people should come to an agreement without using any type of violence or treats.
I agree with you on why using the 911 system for reasons such as loud music playing can are issues like these can be easily resorted and in situations like these the 911 system should not be used. All one needs is clear communication between the two. I believe communication is a high skill you must need in this work force and using that skill in situations like these is viable.
The article analyzes the 911 system, revealing certain calls analysis receives are like piety crimes, which are calls for no reason, that can be handled themselves. Calls to 911 should be for an emergency such as life threatening or information that will help officers in catching a criminal. Complaints like the neighbors are being too loud or not as important as my neighbor is having a heart attack., it is very time wasting when the operators can be helping someone in real need of help. To avoid calling the police, such matters as that can be addressed. Adults can talk amongst each other to resolve an issue or even a comment member such as neighborhood watch club can have a meeting. There are a high number of crimes that are being committed every second, such as murder, rape, sex trafficking, kidnapping, arson, grand larceny, grand theft auto, and robbery where attention is much more needed. The article has listed many ways how it can be avoided, according to the article, “eliminating certain calls for service by transferring them to more appropriate services or simply no generating a call for service, including barking dogs (redirected to animal control), loose livestock, stalled vehicles, lost electronic devices, establishing a Theft Reduction Apprehension Program where the police department trains store loss prevention personnel to process shoplifters, complete forms, and write a trespass letter and direct the person found shoplifting to respond to the substation to receive a citation (no call for service generated) and status offenses (police personnel do not intervene in any juvenile status offenses other than runaway incidents or underage drinking).” which I agree on.
Hello Berelice,
I agree with your statement, “it is very time wasting when the operators can be helping someone in real need of help. To avoid calling the police, such matters as that can be addressed.” To add on, it is important we do not waste the operators time with problems that do not need immediate attention. These calls are also shown to strain PSAPs and police departments. The report provides several alternatives to 911 calls and these alternatives may be the solution to avoid wasting the operators time when there are more serious crimes occurring that need attention.
Berelice good point not everyone can solve their own problems sometimes it’s lead to a lot of misunderstanding and sometimes you have no choices but to call 911 for help and having to settle the situation. Even if’s it the most petty issue.
According to “The 911 Call Processing System: A Review of the Literature as it Relates to Policing”, there are a lot of 911 calls not for emergencies. Even though they are not emergencies, 911 dispatchers still need to spend time dealing with them, which indeed decreases the chance of real emergency reporting.
Instead of calling the police, the article (33) provides several alternative ways to 911 calls. For individuals who are seeking information or resources, the 211 and 311 information services can replace 911. For individuals who need an immediate mental health crisis response, crisis hotlines can replace 911.
Since the article mentioned that our phones “collect and log tremendous amounts of data” (11) but “this data is not aggregated in a meaningful way” (11), as far as I am concerned, the 911 system should build up an online system and then encourage people to report emergencies through cell phones by using the GPS system, where 911 dispatchers do not need to ask reporters what happens and what they need.
Reference
Mapolski, M., Neusteter, S. R., O’Toole, M., Khogali, M. (2019). The 911 Call Processing System: A Review of the Literature as it Relates to Policing. United States: Vera Institute of Justice.
Hey Jingyue,
I totally agree with your comment because there are many people who call 911 for reasons that are related to a serious crime or a problematic situation. In other words like by calling 211 or 311 can resolve the same problem just as calling 911. There are situation were police officers aren’t trained well for mentally ill people when dealing with certain situation so, by reaching out to professionals that knows how to treat patients carefully with special illness is way safer than having a cop.
According to “The 911 Call Processing System: A Review of the Literature as it Relates to Policing”, there has been many 911 calls which were not all considered emergencies. Calling 911 causes dispatchers to spent worthless time dealing with non emergencies that could be handle by dialing other units. Other units instead of calling 911 for all emergencies, people should considered calling 211 in some cases or 311. Calling other units will reduce the stress of handling lower crimes and issues and deal with more serious crimes and situations that police officers can handle. Calling 211 will allow people to request for resources like “shelter and housing options, employment and education opportunities, veteran services, addiction and rehabilitation programs, various support groups, etc.” Instead of calling 911 for a homeless person on the street who is non violent, calling 211 for shelter is a better idea. The 311 calls is a more people who have complaints about ” noise, potholes, and graffiti, as well as obtain public information on a variety of topics.” Having other emergencies alternative reduces the amount of phones calls reaching 911 which allows dispatchers to focus more on serious calls.
Hello Idany,
I agree with your statement, “Having other emergencies alternative reduces the amount of phones calls reaching 911 which allows dispatchers to focus more on serious calls.” I believe this quote is most evident to the report because some calls for service, even if they are not emergencies, do need a response from police. However, these calls can strain PSAPs and police departments and do not require immediate response by sworn personnel, so having emergency alternatives would better assist police officers and people.
So true Idany,
calling 211 or 311 is a way to clear the line for real emergancys placed on the 911 line but we also forget that sometimes the 211 and the 311 line aren’t enforced as much as the 911 line is. I remember only hearing my mom mention the 311 once when we had a problem in my building and other than that it was always 911.
Yes people can use 211 or 311 to deal with non emergency issues but the problem is I don’t think everyone knows that. So that’s why they call 911.
I totally agree with you Idany that having another place to call rather than 911 it would help reduce the amount of stress the police go through. 311 even helps with parking rules for that day.
After reading the report on the 911 system, the analysis on the 911 system reveals the need in communities and how they could be better addressed instead of calling the police. It is shown in the text that some calls for service, even if they are not emergencies, do need a response from police. This could be for for documentation or community relations purposes. However, according to the report, “These calls can strain PSAPs and police departments and do not require immediate response by sworn personnel”. There are a couple of solutions to avoid straining PSAPS. One way is by encouraging community members to report a variety of lower-level crimes through the department’s Internet reporting tool. Methods like these are able to promote efficiencies in police response by creating alternative ways for community members to report issues when sworn personnel are not or are not immediately necessary. Overall, stakeholders are finding way to develop sound alternatives beyond police responses to calls for service. The more we evaluate the role of police in the community and understanding these critical components, the better we will get in developing a system that best serves our nation.
I agree with reporting variety of low-level crimes through the department’s internet reporting tool. IT will be more efficient in allowing other departments other than the cops to help in situations rather than calling 911 and expecting the cops to respond a non-emergency call.
Hello Andres,
I agree with your point on finding alternatives to policing in the community. This focus on community workers who specialize in things such as mental health to better tackle those who are searching for help. Removing this dominant structure of police and citizen makes people feel more comfortable instead of living in fear. It is important to realize how the police have not been able to properly tackle these issues before and it is time to try something else. I also agree with your point that PSAPs are flooded and that using it is not as efficient as one may have hoped.
In the article “The 911 Call Processing A Review of the Literature as it Relates to Policing”System by S. Rebecca Neusteter, Maris Mapolski, Mawia Khogali, and Megan O’Toole there are a great deal of emergency calls not for crises. Despite the fact that they are not crises, Officers actually need to invest energy into investigating it and this leads to other dangerous emergencies not being reported. This article also shows ideas that have been implemented in certain departments that don’t need police response. According to pg 21 it states “Some police departments have already established methods to promote efficiencies in police response by creating alternative ways for community members to report issues when sworn personnel are not (or are not immediately) necessary, for example traffic collisions involving no or minor injuries; and disorderly or disobedient children. This further emphasizes on the idea that there are other ways to go through with certain emergencies. One thing I have always noticed though is that these call center operators are the heart of the police department. I always thought that a job like a call center operator for 911 is probably one of the most stressful things someone can endure. They can’t take breaks, they are probably sitting there for hours. It’s also tough because sometimes These operators have to stay on work during the holidays and can’t even see their families. dispatchers play a huge role with the officers job because they are the ones that send them to these places under the info that they are given. When these emergencies happen it is crucial that there are professionals like these operators that focus on emergency preparedness. They work on planning for catastrophe and emergencies.
Hello Joel,
I agree when you say that police do not need to be injecting themselves into situations where they have no say in. If there is a sign of someone needing shelter, then they should be directed to 211 instead of a cop showing up and perhaps escalating the situation. This idea you bring up of “other ways to go through with certain emergencies” is a key idea I would like to emphasize. To realize there are other resources and resources that actually tackle the root of the problem is so important to truly getting to help the community. I also agree that emergency preparedness is critical to tackling the issue at hand in a proper manner.
Calling 911 is always a number to go to because in a person mind it calls because in their eyes the problem at hand can only be solved by the police wrong. After reading these article I realized that we need other operating numbers fro minor calls made for assistance and help that are non-crime related. For example calling 311 which is used for non-crime calls that help any one. By making these numbers more public to people they will set their minds into calling 311 rather than 911. Also the world around us is developing that more outlets of communication should be created as apps or online pages for teens (who are the future) to seek help and also report minor non-911 calls.
I agree with your response and I find your suggestion about the alternative for teens very interesting. The world is evolving and there needs to be more advanced methods suitable for younger generations.
I agree with you, Melissa, because people always want accountability. Hence, they know that the police will make sure that they are punished for whatever they’re calling for to the highest degree of the law possible. But we need to be careful with our definition of an emergency.
The article reveals that communities suffer from relying too heavily on the 911 system. The 911 system has proven to become flooded with people seeking some assistance, but assistance can perhaps be rerouted somewhere else instead of relying on 911 for everything. The article speaks that this lack of alternatives for 911 creates a very crowded environment where getting help to people who need it becomes very messy. The reading provides a couple of other options, including the 211 services, 311 services, and other crisis hotlines. Each alternative has its specialty, such as the 211 services providing help to find shelter, food, employment, education, and many other resources. 311 is a non-emergency service in which callers can report things such as potholes. Crisis hotlines provide mental health services but can sometimes work with law enforcement that can alter the situation by looking at history as to how those who suffer from mental health have a lousy reputation with law enforcement as law enforcement would lock them up instead of giving them the help they need. But the idea of shifting this from the police and 911 is crucial. Community helpers are now the ones who can provide the service to be beneficial to those in the community. It no longer feels cold and distant. The police do not tackle the needs in a community head-on like a community worker who specializes in the area.
Great essay and I believe that community members can step in and help address community needs. Also if the police work together with the community in what calls should be forwarded to police and which calls civilians should respond to it would better for the everyone.
According to the article many 911 calls are for noise, blocked driveways, or public intoxication, drug abuse, homelessness or mental health crises. The article also notes that these issues would be better resolved with community based treatment or other resources besides the police. For Example, trained civilians can become community responders and can safely resolve causes of community concerns. Dispatching civilians instead of officers can reduce unnecessary police responses and help prevent unjust arrests, killings, and uses of force by police which primarily affect neighborhoods of color and people with mental health issues. This would also free up law enforcement resources and allow police to use their time addressing serious crime and possibly building positive relationships with the communities that they serve. The 911 system reveal that the needs of the various communities lies in having available programs such as the Triage program and government programs to handle different issues instead of 911. In New York and there is a 311 number people can call for different complaints such as heat and hot water complaints, parking tickets, loud noise, and other disturbances. The 911 system also reveals that call volumes for an area depends on the characteristics such as the number of people renting, the presence of businesses, the number of available jobs, number of college graduates, and those not in the work force all correlates to an increase call volume.
After reading the article, I have learned that police officers spend an unnecessary amount of time responding to calls of non emergencies. For example, there are more important calls that police officers can respond to that are not in the case of noise complaints in neighborhoods, blocked driveways, directions, park violations, etc. 911 operators should receive calls pertaining to emergencies like shooting activity, murder, break-ins, kidnapping (missing child), etc. I believe there needs to be an alternative system that deals with non emergencies, a 911 system that makes it easier for police officers and operators to handle their job more effectively.
Solange i understand your point and where your coming form which is true. that police should focus more on emergency that has to do with people life that on edge . but police are just trying to make sure everyone get the help they need and deserve because people cannot handle their own situation .
I agree with you that there are more important things police can be doing rather than taking a call that wasn’t that important like for a noise complaint. The amount of stress they go through and some people rather make it more worse than actually call the right number like 211 or 311, which is meant for those types of things.
Based on the reading the 911 calls system are for EMERGENCIES ,having to respond for those in need and making sure the public get the help they need . A person that cannot figure out what to do so they depend on police to come and solve their problem and the police take it from there depending if you violate the law.The 911 dispatcher has to make sure they listen carefully and gather all the correct information before sending them to the location in an emergency situation usually they always ask for home address the descriptions of the person age height color and if they have any weapons and usually what the reason. I am pretty sure this has happened to one of us at one point where we called 911 and were breathless that we couldn’t even tell them what was going on because you were overwhelmed and just needed the police to come to help so you can feel relaxed about the conflict . Everyday people and cops’ lives are in danger, that is why we have to be thankful for the cops that go out on duty and risk their life for us . Others call 911 to make a complaint about a neighbor, noise and unknown reason . But also 311 is also there for people who need help and are confused about certain things ,have any questions and concerns or need to seek financial help. Even if you are going through an emergency situation and cannot dial 911 right away your iPhone does it for you by holding down the power button located where you are at if the location is turned on your phone . Everyone ‘s and safety come and we should be glad we have 911 dispatchers in n.y that come and solve your issue.
Listen, when I read your post, I was like, we’re twins, twins. I strongly agree with you when it comes to taking the 911 number and the whole concept of the new number seriously people think it’s a joke they’re calling because their car got a bump or if someone looked at them funny, that’s absolutely ridiculous, and that’s why things aren’t running smoothly. I totally with you love your post; it was an amazing read.
The 911 call system has undergone a crucial development since its initiation. Nevertheless, there is a dire need for more creativity in this field. The evaluation of service requests provides massive and unexploited chances for researchers and specialists to notify and renovate guidelines and practices (Desmond et al., 2016). Understanding the 911 call system platform at a close interval provides the community with an opportunity to innovate an alternative yonder police reply to request through calls for service.
Based on the report, I want to clarify that if anyone didn’t know, 9-1-1 is and forever will be for emergencies and emergencies only. So, for all the people holding up the lines, 311 is the number to contact if you have a complaint about a neighbor, whether it regards noise or how they’re behaving in your area. Let’s utilize our heads instead of our racist bones. The 911 system has an extremely high call volume, so when needing to call, think. Is this a time I could curb the police from intervening?
Some emergency 911 departments began implementing non-sworn personnel to handle calls for service and incidents such as
– shoplifting/evidence pickups
– traffic collision involving no or minor injuries
– disorderly or disobedient children
They’ve also began to eliminate certain calls by transferring them to more appropriate services such as
– 211 which can connect callers with community health and human service resources
– 311 which people can use to file a complaint about issues such as noise, graffiti, and gain information on different topics
– crisis hotline where people can get speak to someone regarding their mental health issues whether they are suicidal or nonsuicidal
This gives police more access to deal with more emergent cases and help them to help people that are in a life treating case.
According to the 911 readings not all 911 calls are emergencies. A lot of the calls are things that people shouldn’t be wasting the police resources because they would show up and more. It wastes their time and it stops them from actually going to a real emergency which is really bad. Rather than calling 911 they should call 311 to make complaints and this would help reduce the stress people that work for 911 have because it helps them know what is actually real and what isn’t. Usually you can call 311 to make complaints or ask any questions. For example, you can call them to report loud noises, make complaints, and ask about parking. Now there’s an app that helps you report things because my uncle showed me it the other day. Being a center operator must be even more stressful because they basically decide what’s more important and they hear things most people would be uncomfortable with.