911 Calls Go Unanswered In Some Parts Of Oregon

Staffing shortages in several Oregon counties have resulted in 911 calls going unanswered.

Governor John Ktzhaber is considering legislation that would effectively declare a public safety emergency in parts of the state. This would help residents who are essentially fending for themselves in areas without 24-hour protection.

According to The Epoch Times, the problem started with an incident last August. Terrified that her boyfriend was going to attack her, a woman dialed 911 in search of help. Since calls to the sheriff’s department went unanswered, she was later transferred to the state police department.

Unfortunately, the dispatcher told the woman that she didn’t have any available units to send to her location.

“Uh, I don’t have anybody to send out there. You know, obviously, if he comes inside the residence and assaults you, can you ask him to go away?” the dispatcher explained.

Since police could not properly respond to the 911 call, the boyfriend was able to assault his girlfriend. He is currently serving time behind bars for his crime.

CNN reports that the incident in August was a direct result of not having enough people on-staff to handle calls to 911. In Josephine County, only one sheriff and three deputies are on-hand to serve approximately 80,000 people.

The proposed legislation would be funded in part by increased taxes on those individuals living in counties were budget cuts have created a shortage of help. Officials in Josephine County suggested raising property taxes to help fill the void left by budgetary cuts. This was shot down in a recent vote.

“We have had a history of people being very protective of having the lowest property tax in the state of Oregon. There has to be a groundswell of people that will be able to move those folks into a minority,” County Commissioner Keith Heck told CNN.

Even if the emergency plan is passed, officials for local governments would have to consent to it.

Oregon isn’t the only place where calls for help have gone unanswered. According to The Star Tribune, several calls to 911 in Minneapolis went unanswered in late 2012. This prompted officials to change the way emergency calls are handled in the city.

For the time being, it would appear that 911 calls going unanswered in certain Oregon counties will continue to be a problem.