Milwaukee alderman shares own experience with 911 amid protocol questions

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – A Milwaukee alderman is using his own experience with the 911 call center to continue the discussion on operator training and protocol.

During a Public Safety and Health Committee meeting, District 5 Milwaukee Alderman Lamont Westmoreland explained what happened when he called 911 after being sideswiped by a reckless driver. He said he was not given all of the options available before the call was disconnected.

Westmoreland's call was playing during the meeting, with representatives from the Milwaukee Police Department present. In the call, the operator tells Westmoreland to go in person to report the crime, but he replies saying that is not the case.

"So, I do know that I don't have to go to the district," Westmoreland said.

Westmoreland then suggests meeting an officer at his home, but before taking his address, the operator ends the call. The alderman brought this issue to the committee to discuss best practices when responding to 911 calls. This also comes just weeks after the committee met with MPD asking them to instruct operators to tell callers that police can take their report in person and that they do not need to go to the district for vehicle thefts.

In light of this previous meeting and Westmoreland's experience, he and other committee members are pushing for this information to be standardly given to callers as soon as possible. Representatives from the department were on board.

"I would want anyone to get the service that they hope for, so if they want a squad to come to their house, we'll send a squad," MPD Technical Communications Division Captain Annemarie Domurat said.

"We can definitely make sure that all of our members reiterate that this is your option if your car is stolen - you can come to the district, or we can come to you."

This is happening amid the merger of the police and fire 911 call centers, a consolidation that MPD said should be done by the end of this year.