Assistant Director Robert Uribe, who leads the Dallas Police Department’s 9-1-1 Communications Bureau, told the Community Police Oversight Board on Nov. 10 that the city’s emergency communications center receives roughly 1.8 million calls annually and handles about 35,000 police reports through phone or online systems.

Uribe said the bureau classifies calls into Priority 1–4, with Priority 1 reserved for people in immediate danger (shootings, stabbings or similar). “Year to date, as of yesterday, our response time is 10.9 minutes,” he said, adding that the number improved from about 11.38 minutes a year earlier.

Uribe acknowledged that Priority 2 average response times remain long and reported a figure of about 96.3 minutes for Priority 2 calls, down from about 103 minutes the prior year. “Calls for service are classified as a priority 2,” he said, noting that more than 50% of call volume is currently classed at that level.

Board members repeatedly asked for district-level breakdowns. “You gave some stats, director, on the different response times … Can you break those stats down also by region?” Vice Chair Ozzie Smith asked. Uribe said those reports can be provided and that his office will break the data out by district or patrol division as requested.

On staffing and modernization, Uribe said the bureau has about 314 employees involved in call taking, dispatch and support functions and credited retention and recruitment efforts for recent improvements. He described ongoing contract negotiations to replace the bureau’s computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and records management system (RMS), and said a newer 9-1-1 platform is under evaluation. “If we reach a contract finalization, that upgrade should happen within the next 18 to 24 months,” Uribe said, adding that the new systems should improve location finding and leverage modern cellphone data.

Board members raised operational questions about how call prioritization intersects with patrol staffing and arrest data. Uribe said the bureau is studying whether current priority classifications match operational needs and expects recommendations within 90–180 days. “One of our highest volumes within the city is our Northeast area,” he said, stressing that staffing models incorporate geography, square mileage and volume.

Why it matters: The presentation tied technical upgrades and staffing to response-time goals, and several board members asked for disaggregated metrics so the board can assess whether service is equitable by district. The bureau committed to providing district-level reports and to completing a classification study in the coming months.

What’s next: The bureau will share district- and service-area response-time data with the board, and the city’s internal study of call classification and recommended changes is expected within 90–180 days.