Buffalo's alternative to 911.

The three-digit telephone number, 911, has grown into a huge success. However, too much of a good thing has overloaded the emergency number's infrastructure and caused major problems for many cities, including Buffalo, New York.

For years, Buffalo citizens called 911 for all police services. In time, however, the system became bogged down with calls, which proved mostly nonemergency in nature. In Buffalo, as in other cities, citizens who called 911 often encountered busy lines during peak calling times. Something had to be done.

Recently, Buffalo and at least three other cities have taken steps to stem the flow of nonemergency calls into their 911 systems by providing an alternative telephone number. For example, Dallas, Baltimore, and Chicago established 311, while Buffalo set up 853-2222, as options for nonemergency situations.(1)

Sizing Up the Problem

Buffalo has a population of approximately 340,000 and covers about 42 square miles. Its police department employs almost 1,000 sworn and 300 civilian employees. The surrounding County of Erie, however, maintains the 911 system, which receives nearly 2,000 calls every day and over 600,000 calls a year.(2) After county employees enter the calls into the Buffalo Police Department's (BPD) computer aided dispatch system, BPD dispatchers take control of those in their jurisdiction.

Because of the overwhelming number of 911 calls, the Buffalo commissioner of police set up a committee to research the problem of managing these calls for service. The committee included the commissioner, the commanding officer of communications, the county 911 coordinator, and a consultant from a local advertising agency. The committee identified the scope of the problem and discussed the available options. Ultimately. the committee decided that instituting a nonemergency telephone number program represented the best solution for Buffalo.

Because the number needed to be easy to remember, the committee debated the merits of a seven-digit versus a three-digit nonemergency telephone number. While advantages exist for both, the committee decided to implement a seven-digit number because of the immediate availability of one at virtually no added cost. Additionally, the county was concerned that a three-digit number might vastly increase the total volume of calls into the system. In fact, this happened in Baltimore after that city implemented its 311 number. From October 1996 through March 1997, the Baltimore Police Department had an 11 percent increase in total calls compared to the same period the year before. Fortunately, the department experienced no significant problems because it had enough limited-duty personnel to staff the nonemergency number.(3) However, because every city has different needs and resources, police agencies should evaluate these factors carefully before implementing a nonemergency telephone system.

Defining Emergency Calls

BPD defines emergency calls as police, fire, or medical emergencies that include any life-threatening situations or a crime in progress. However, even after implementing the nonemergency telephone number, the department still encourages citizens to call 911 if they cannot determine if a situation is a true emergency. Primarily, BPD asks citizens to call the nonemergency number whenever they need advice or assistance that does not require an immediate emergency response.

Educating the Public

After deciding to use an alternative nonemergency telephone number, BPD developed the objectives that it wanted to communicate to the public concerning the new system. Next, BPD hired a professional advertising agency to assist in educating the public about these objectives, which included

* creating a message that would change the public's perceptions and expectations in regard to 911;

* making the public aware of what constitutes a real emergency versus a nonemergency;

* decreasing the number of nonemergency 911 calls so BPD personnel could respond where they are truly needed - to potentially life-threatening situations;

* enhancing the scope of the differential response program(4) by increasing the staff and the types of calls they handle; and

* providing officers with more time for community policing efforts.

To promote and link the new nonemergency number with the well-known 911 system, the advertising agency created a lyrical jingle: For real emergencies, call 911 and we'll quickly send someone. For nonemergencies, it's 853-2222 and we'll tell you what to do? The agency also developed brochures explaining what constitutes a real emergency and what illustrates a nonemergency. Other educational and promotional materials included outdoor graphics, street banners, newspaper ads, television and radio commercials, stickers for telephones, bookmarks for school children, and bumper stickers for police and private vehicles.

Hiring the advertising agency proved of great value to the success of implementing the program. In addition to promoting the message, the agency also assisted in obtaining funds for the program from both the public and private sector. For example, the local transit company donated advertising space on its buses, various private agencies donated billboard space, both the broadcast and print media provided public service announcements, and a private sector group committed to assisting the City of Buffalo funded the additional advertising. Further, having a local advertising agency as a member of the committee proved very beneficial because the agency understood both the concept of the program from the beginning and the limitations of the city's resources.

Managing Calls for Service

The communications section of BPD views the nonemergency number program as an important step in assisting public safety agencies to manage calls for service. The bigger picture involves the entire community policing effort, including differential response programs that encourage citizens to call and report crimes over the telephone. Also, part of this process includes informing citizens of the correct agency they should contact in a given situation. BPD accomplished this, in part, by listing the 10 most frequently called referral agencies in its nonemergency number brochures. Therefore, the public can contact the appropriate agency directly and help to further reduce calls to the 911 and the alternative nonemergency systems.

Another element in the successful management of calls involves personnel. While BPD has civilian employees answering the nonemergency calls, Baltimore has limited-duty police officers answering them. The Baltimore system proves beneficial because trained police officers can give appropriate advice that could eliminate the need for a patrol response. This method clearly enhances the differential response program in Baltimore and seems to be a major reason for the city's success. Further, by reducing calls for service, the officer on the street has additional discretionary time. Proper channeling of this time further enhances community policing efforts.

Determining the Results

Both Buffalo and Baltimore kicked off their nonemergency number programs on October 1, 1996. While the programs have existed for only 2 years, both have enjoyed varying degrees of success. Most important, both cities have reduced 911 calls by nearly 20 percent.(6) Moreover, the Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing office recently visited Buffalo and is considering studying all three nonemergency programs. Whatever the ultimate outcome of such a study, freeing up 911 lines for true emergencies has proved a goal worth pursuing for the City of Buffalo.

Conclusion

Faced with a 911 emergency telephone system overloaded with nonemergency calls, the Buffalo Police Department needed to find a viable alternative. As in a few other cities, Buffalo elected to implement a separate telephone number for all nonemergency calls for service. After weighing the advantages and disadvantages of a seven-digit versus a three-digit telephone number, Buffalo chose the seven-digit option based on the city's needs and available resources.

Other jurisdictions faced with the same problem may consider Buffalo's solution. Several factors prove critical when deciding if this approach will work for them, including evaluating their needs and resources, defining their objectives, and educating their citizens. Because effectively and efficiently managing their calls for service proves an ongoing dilemma for most law enforcement agencies, Buffalo's alternative may provide a new outlook on an increasingly burdensome problem.

Seven-digit Number and Three-digit Number Considerations

Advantages of Seven-digit Number

* Minimal cost to the taxpayers

* Ease of implementation (number was already available)

* Citizens must evaluate their situations, which could decrease calls to police

* Total volume of calls would be less likely to increase, thereby avoiding the 911 problem

Advantages of Three-digit Number

* Easy number to remember

* Ability to make free calls from pay telephones

* Possibility of one nonemergency number for the entire country

* Ability to have calls routed to several different off-site locations that correspond with locations of originating calls

Disadvantages of Seven-digit Number

* More difficult to remember

* Calls from pay telephones are not free

* Confusing to citizens from other jurisdictions

Disadvantages of Three-digit Number

* Likelihood of increased volume of calls

* Costs - two systems and dedicated revenue source are needed

* Timeliness of implementation

Advantages of Both Systems

* Assists with managing calls for service

* 911 dispatchers are released for true emergencies

* Educates the public about what constitutes a real emergency

* Increases public awareness that certain calls do not require an emergency response

* Enhances community policing efforts

* Encourages an aggressive differential response program

Endnotes

1 Additional jurisdictions, including San Jose, California, are considering implementing similar systems.

2 Records from Eric County 911.

3 Baltimore Police Communications Division evaluation report, April 1997.

4 Differential response programs include citizens reporting crimes by telephone and officers conducting initial investigations of certain crimes by telephone rather than immediately sending officers to the scene.

5 The Schutte Group.

6 Records from Erie County 911 and the Baltimore Police Department.

Captain Schoenle serves as the director of communications with the Buffalo, New York, Police Department.