Question for LEO's, Dispatchers, 911 Operators - MWAG Calls?

[TenZero]

At a smaller department you might get away with it. For IMPD the dispatchers don't even work for us, they still fall under county. From personal experience I can tell you complaining about the "MWAG minding his own business" gets you nowhere. Its simpler to educate the caller, but so many of them are from Mr. and Mrs. Anonymous.

I used to call anonymous calls "When you care enough to do the very least". If its important enough to call about, at least leave some contact info because a complaint from a known party is much more significant, legally speaking, than an uncorroborated anonymous tip.

Sorry, drifting off topic. Anyway, everything gets dispatched and its primarily for liability reasons. No one wants to get sued because they failed to send an officer. So, you end up having to talk to the lady who says VooDoo priests are taking garbage from her trash can, transporting it to Houston, TX, and then killing her by making a snake grow inside of her brain. (Referred to Houston PD, as that's where the crime is occurring. You're welcome whoever took the call from the lady asking for the Houston PD VooDoo Detective's Bureau.)

Very well said!

If I may add to your last bit... All calls are dispatched for political reasons as well. The Sheriff wants his votes you know. Unfortunately there are some people in the general public who like to abuse the 911 system KNOWING the police/fire/EMS HAVE to respond.

 

[Denny347]

While we have to answer a dispatched run, we get to CHOOSE how we deal with the run. Example, a year or so ago, I was dispatched to a MWAG at a city park. It was a B/M OCing just walking around...you know...using the park. Well I rolled up and spotted him near the parking lot so I didn't even need to get out of my car. Was was doing NOTHING illegal. All I did was pull next to him, roll the window down, and asked if he had a LTCH for that, I got a call about him. He replied that he did and asked if I wanted to see it. Nope, have a good day sir. Interaction lasted 15 seconds...as minimal intrusion as I could make it while still "doing my job". I left only to get called by the same caller, this time with a name so I could talk to her. She was the park supervisor and I was able to "educate" her in the new (at the time) premption law allowing firearms in parks, she had no idea. Also told her OCing is legal and that she needed to let her bosses know that carrying in a city park is now legal. Just because I get dispatched to a MWAG does not mean I need to go JBT on them...well not unless they earn it anyway.

 

[TheSpark]

While we have to answer a dispatched run, we get to CHOOSE how we deal with the run. Example, a year or so ago, I was dispatched to a MWAG at a city park. It was a B/M OCing just walking around...you know...using the park. Well I rolled up and spotted him near the parking lot so I didn't even need to get out of my car. Was was doing NOTHING illegal. All I did was pull next to him, roll the window down, and asked if he had a LTCH for that, I got a call about him. He replied that he did and asked if I wanted to see it. Nope, have a good day sir. Interaction lasted 15 seconds...as minimal intrusion as I could make it while still "doing my job". I left only to get called by the same caller, this time with a name so I could talk to her. She was the park supervisor and I was able to "educate" her in the new (at the time) premption law allowing firearms in parks, she had no idea. Also told her OCing is legal and that she needed to let her bosses know that carrying in a city park is now legal. Just because I get dispatched to a MWAG does not mean I need to go JBT on them...well not unless they earn it anyway.

Wish all officers were as knowledgeable and understanding as you when they have to respond to these. If I knew all officers would handle it that way I would probably consider open carry at times. I prefer to not have to deal with the "bad" ones though and just always hide it.

 

[TB1999]

and then there's this guy --> [video]http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/gunman-hollywood-shooting-spree-15128175[/video]

 

[grogie]

So, you end up having to talk to the lady who says VooDoo priests are taking garbage from her trash can, transporting it to Houston, TX, and then killing her by making a snake grow inside of her brain. (Referred to Houston PD, as that's where the crime is occurring. You're welcome whoever took the call from the lady asking for the Houston PD VooDoo Detective's Bureau.)

So that is possible! Well, I hope that the Houston PD caught the VooDoo priests and put a stop to their evil ways.