ST. LOUIS — St. Louis is implementing changes that will help the police department prioritize 911 calls and improve efficiency.
When contacting the St. Louis communications division, you can expect a scripted recorded greeting from your call taker, according to a press release from the police department.
When or if you are put on hold, there will be a recording that will say, “You have reached the City of St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Your call is important to us, please do not hang up. The next available dispatcher will answer your call in the order it was received."
If your call is disconnected or you hang up, you will receive an automatic call back. The call will ask if you still have an emergency, dialed the number in error or no longer have an emergency.
For non-emergency calls, the call taker will transfer you to an interactive voice response, which will prompt you with the most requested services including Citizen's Service Bureau, Justice Center and Parking Enforcement.
To help staff members in the communications division, a new call monitor is up on display to organize and improve call management in real time.
For periods of high emergency call volume, supervisors can now use a function that will turn off all non-emergency, alarm, and information lines. This way 911 calls can be prioritized and receive a faster response.
These updates are effective Feb. 3.
