Concerns about the administration of Montgomery’s 911 call center have been raised frequently by both citizens and members of the Montgomery City Council. Recently, an anonymous source with detailed knowledge of the call center’s operations reached out to The Montgomery Independent. The source requested anonymity, citing fears of “retaliation” from city officials.
According to the source, the 911 call center is “not quite failing” when compared to the national average, but it’s certainly trending in that direction. They added that while criticism of the center is sometimes justified, some of it has been excessive.
“They’re trying to tamp down on the community outrage about the police department,” the source explained, referencing an incident where the Montgomery Police Department (MPD) shifted blame to the 911 center for failing to respond to a call for service.
The incident involved a man struck by a vehicle. The 911 center dispatched the call, and Montgomery Fire/Rescue responded. However, when a family member of the victim sought a police report the following day, no report existed because MPD hadn’t responded to the call.
“I don’t want to accuse anyone of malicious intent,” the source said. “But it seems like they’ve been focused on the wrong things for years.”
A significant part of the issue appears to lie in Montgomery County’s dual 911 systems. Calls originating outside city limits are routed to the sheriff’s office 911 system, while those within city limits go to the city system. The majority of calls for service come from within city limits, creating a heavier burden for the city’s call center.
While city and sheriff’s office 911 employees receive comparable salaries, city employees handle a much higher volume of calls. This disparity makes it challenging for the city to retain qualified staff.
“For twenty years, they’ve focused on managing that center instead of having real leadership there,” the source stated. “It’s like a cancer growing in Montgomery.” When asked about potential solutions, the source expressed doubt, saying, “It’s clear they don’t know how to fix it.”
The source further argued that Montgomery taxpayers aren’t getting the service they’re paying for.
Jerime Reid, Chief of Staff for Mayor Steven Reed, recently informed the council that operators are answering “every call they can.” However, only 26 of the 56 operator positions are currently filled. Reid noted that 14 applicants have applied for open positions and are set to be interviewed soon.
The Montgomery Independent attempted to contact Reid for additional comments but received no response.
