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Contacting police through dispatch increases response time

September 25, 2019
Vinnie Roberts

The police department and sheriff’s department are vital parts of any municipality. From stopping armed criminal action to enforcing speed regulations on public roads, nearly everyone has counted on the intervention of law enforcement at some point in their lives. Unfortunately for some, a misunderstanding of the proper way to get in touch with these entities has led to some issues with both local governments and police departments.

Brian Nichols, city administrator for Seligman, explained that in his experience, citizens are often inclined to contact city hall instead of contacting law enforcement directly.

“The main issue is people calling city hall,” Nichols explained. “The proper way to get ahold of law enforcement here is to either call Barry County Dispatch or 911 or the non-emergency line. It’s not a big issue, but it’s a concern.”

According to the city administrator, Seligman fields roughly 30 calls of this nature per month.

Nichols went on to explain that though his office is happy to field these calls, the citizens who use this method rather than the proper channels often experience problems.

“There’s definitely a delay in response,” said Nichols. “By the time that they hunt down the number for city hall and call us and we’ve either forwarded their call or called our officer, there’s issues.”

Additionally, Nichols explained that not contacting the authorities through the proper means can sometimes lead to confusion and further delays.  

“We have a lot of these telephone calls that we find out are coming from outside of city limits, therefore they have to call Barry County, which causes even more of a delay,” said Nichols.

Nichols went on to explain that in addition to a faster response, citizens calling 911 or dispatch can expect to interact with an experienced staff that has been trained to assist with emergency situations.

“Whenever they call dispatch or 911, the calls are recorded and they have a set guideline with information so that they can provide the proper service,” Nichols said.

To contact Barry County non-emergency dispatch, call (417) 847-4911. To contact the Barry County Sheriff’s department, call (417) 847-6556. For any emergency situations, call 9-1-1 and they will contact and dispatch the appropriate personnel.
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  • Home
  • This Week's Issue
    • Obituaries
    • ERGM FD to construct new station
    • Parnell to take lead of Wildcat athletics and activities beginning in July
    • Roaring River Continues Glade Restoration
    • Peterbilt Strikes Building On Hwy. 37
  • Contact us
  • Advertising
    • Advertising Rates
    • Place Ad
  • Archives
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