First responseDetroit prioritizes how its responds to 911 calls

With the help of a newly created unit, Detroit Police are changing how they respond to emergency calls.

Under the new system, officers will be able to respond to the most immediate threats first before dealing with non-emergency requests. Roughly 40 percent of lower-priority 911 calls will be directed to the newly created Telephone Crime Report Unit and those situations will be handled by limited duty officers and civilian personnel.

The reorganization comes as part of Police Chief Ralph Godbee’s “virtual precincts” effort which is designed to reduce police response time by putting more officers on the ground. Beginning in January, police precincts began closing between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m. to allow more officers to be out on patrol. Crimes that occur during those times must be reported via a telephone center.

The move has eliminated some desk jobs, but more than 100 additional officers are now on the streets.

Under the new emergency 911 prioritization system, calls will ranked on several factors.

Priority 1 calls, the most urgent, involve emergency situations that are still in progress, like those where the perpetrator is still at the scene or if emergency medical service is required. Priority 2 calls deal with grave offenses that happened more than fifteen minutes before 911 was dialed. On the lower end of the spectrum, Priority 4 calls involve non-dangerous situations where the perpetrator is no longer at the scene and the likelihood of apprehension is low. The lowest ranking calls are dubbed Priority 5 calls are similar to Priority 4s, but involve situations where damages are less than $10,000.

The new telephone unit will handle Priority 4 and 5 calls while patrol officers will be sent to address Priority 1 -4 calls.