Operators are urging Los Angeles City Hall for increased funding as first responders face challenges in promptly addressing 911 calls due to staffing shortages.
During the ongoing budget hearing related to the city’s spending plan for 2026-2027, AFSCME, the union representing temporary workers, made a compelling statement. They emphasized that funding is critical for efforts that respond to emergencies.
“If calls aren’t answered, no help will arrive,” said AFSCME President Larry Gates in an interview.
This serves as a crucial reminder for an already strained system where each missed call and staffing vacancy increases tension for the millions who depend on these services.
In Los Angeles, 911 calls filter through the LAPD’s Metropolitan Communications Command Center. Here, over 500 civilian dispatchers handle a heavy influx of calls, often receiving between 75 and 250 calls during their shifts.
The persistent lack of staff has been discussed for years. Internal reports and motions have frequently linked response delays to a shortage of trained dispatchers.
While the city brought on 144 dispatch trainees in 2024, the number dropped to 56 in 2025, and with 75 operators retiring, the department is now facing a significant deficit in experienced staff.
In a city housing roughly 4 million individuals, it’s estimated that around 100 operators need to be on duty around the clock to meet basic standards.
However, in 2024, Los Angeles managed to respond to just over half of 911 calls within 15 seconds, which falls well short of California’s requirement of responding to 90% of calls urgently.
This mix of critical emergencies coincides with a flood of non-urgent calls, ranging from parking disputes to minor collisions, all channeled through the same system.
Initially, all calls are screened by a 911 operator to assess if they are life-threatening. If they aren’t deemed urgent, they get sent to a secondary queue, which can lead to long delays.
Non-emergency calls can sit unanswered for significant periods, averaging over three minutes of hold time, and often longer in severe situations, as operators are occupied with immediate crises.
Aaron Peardon, a business representative from the 36th Ward Council, pointed out that the city’s perspective on these roles needs reevaluation. “The private sector drives this,” he stated.
“You’re often the recipient of the worst news someone can receive,” Peardon reflected. “Then you have to just keep going.”
He also commented that automating this role is not the way forward.
“We should not risk placing machines in critical situations,” Peardon noted. “We need someone who can fully grasp and react to what’s unfolding.”
City budget hearings will run until mid-May, when the Budget and Finance Committee will make its final recommendations, leading to a full Council vote on the proposed budget.
