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Austin’s 911 dispatch center has been severely understaffed for months, with about half of call taker positions being vacant.
On New Year’s Eve, 200 callers were on hold for an average of 25 minutes. When people doing donuts blocked off an intersection last month, dispatch got nearly 400 calls in an hour and placed callers on hold for up to 27 minutes.
We can’t afford to clog our 911 lines, so when should you call 911?
This article appears in SXSW.
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Maggie Quinlan worked as an editor and news writer at The Austin Chronicle from 2022 to 2025, focusing especially on criminal justice, environmental issues, and the Texas legislature. She is now freelancing as she studies journalism in a European master's program. More by Maggie Quinlan
