Last year, Oakland’s city auditor warned that Oakland is seriously understaffing its 911 dispatch center. The report echoed multiple other audits and investigations going back nearly a decade, showing that OPD’s emergency call center has lacked adequate staffing, undermining its ability to quickly pick up calls and send officers to respond to emergencies.
Although there was some improvement in performance last year, understaffing is still a problem today, and it’s burning a hole in the city’s overtime budget.
OPD is budgeted for 78 dispatchers, but according to recent reports, the 911 call center only has 66 positions filled. 10 dispatchers are currently on different types of leave and nine dispatchers are trainees, according to OPD. Three out of the seven supervisor positions are currently vacant…