9-1-1 … Is this an emergency?
I’ve been keeping the dispatch scanner playing quite a bit lately – for the most part, public servants go about their work with expert aplomb (and it adds to an understanding of the causal relationships oft-hidden in the city to associate a patrol car prowling by or the klaxon sirens with actual events) … but sometimes, in some officers’ voices, there’s a tickling hint of sarcasm which belies how police officers view their work.
Operator Speaking: Listening in on 911 Dispatch
I love how they talk slower when they feel like there’s no reason to go to the scene.
“Arguing with an ex-boyfriend who’s been … staying … there, … not … physical, … and … there’s … no … weapons”
Reading between the lines:
“So why’d you call..? We don’t prevent crime we’re only here to clean up the mess and drag criminals off. Call back when you’ve got a knife in your neck.”
You noticed that?
lol nice. and i have noticed that. a little….. more…. drawn out that it normally would be
Funny how that works.
The implications aren’t pretty, however, they’re unavoidable: the officers know that they’re on a public broadcast (disappointing, in a sense) and cannot overtly voice their frustrations. Common errors in the mechanics of language suggest a lower order of intellect in some cases. Your local police force are not the best and brightest of the community – they are, however, the only ones who stepped up to the calling.
… but when it comes down to your personal safety, there is one thing you really need to bear in mind:
They’re not paid to protect you and they’re not paid to care.
