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http://abc11.com/houston-911-operator-s ... p/3365642/

A former 911 operator in Houston has been sentenced to 10 days in jail and 18 months probation for hanging up on emergency calls.
According to authorities, 44-year-old Crenshanda Williams systematically hung up on citizens trying to report emergencies.
A jury found her guilty of interference with emergency telephone calls.
"The citizens of Harris County rely on 911 operators to dispatch help in their time of need," Assistant District Attorney Lauren Reeder said in a statement. "When a public servant betrays the community's trust and breaks the law, we have a responsibility to hold them criminally accountable."

Example of why you can't depend on 911 and the police when seconds count.

Per the article, not just a few, but thousands of hang-ups by her in a 5 month period.

Who came up with 10 days in jail? That seems ridiculous.

Maybe it's a typo (I hope) and the sentence is for ten years, as it should be.

How many people died or were injured because of her not doing her job?

Ten days is ridiculous. She needs to be spending ten + years in prison. Hopefully she will at least have her paycheck from her next jobs garnished to pay legal settlements for anyone who was harmed by her ruthless disregard for those she was charged with protecting.

Abraham wrote:Maybe it's a typo (I hope) and the sentence is for ten years, as it should be.

How many people died or were injured because of her not doing her job?

At least one died.

According to the complaint against Williams, one of the calls she dropped involved the murder of a store clerk. Williams received a call from a man named Hua Li was at a convenience store when a “gunman entered and tried to force his way through the door of a glassed-in security area behind the counter.” Running away, Li then heard gunshots and called for emergency services when he got to his vehicle. Williams abruptly terminated the call with seconds. The store manager was shot and killed during the holdup. According to the criminal complaint against Williams, on March 12, 2016, The criminal complaint says the March 12, 2016 call referenced a shooting/robbery homicide. “The first call came in… and was an immediate hang up by the defendant.”

Years ago, just after 9/11, there was a lawyer in one of the northern cites, I think it was Detroit, who was suing the city on behalf of a client whose house burned down. The gist of it as I recall was that the city's 911 service was so bad it contributed to the loss of the client's home. To support the claim he had obtained 911 call records for a substantial period of time...and then he published them online, on his website. There were stunning number of calls that were never even answered, never mind hung up on by the operators. Something like 40% IIRC.

The city went to court to get the records pulled from his website, arguing that posting this information for the public to see could be used by terrorists planning a strike. Judge bought the argument and forced the attorney to remove the records. I never heard how his lawsuit turned out, but I remember being wowed at the stunning amount of calls that were never answered.

Terrorist shmerrorist, I think that kind of government info should be available online on a timely basis, right next to the reports on LTC holders who lose their licenses through conviction...

AndyC wrote:10 days, wow - that'll sure send a message.

Should have been 10 days per call, where no one was hurt or killed because of it, and accessory to ________ from the initial reason of for the call if someone was hurt or killed. That would send a message.

houston again.... what gives houston? trying to be like austin i guess...

I hope that if she ever needs 911, she gets a taste of her own medicine.

thatguyoverthere wrote:Per the article, not just a few, but thousands of hang-ups by her in a 5 month period.

Sorta makes me wonder how this got into the "thousands" before someone noticed.

OneGun wrote:I hope that if she ever needs 911, she gets a taste of her own medicine.

The system should be configured so that 911 calls from her phone gets routed to "Dial A Prayer."

"Sorta makes me wonder how this got into the "thousands" before someone noticed."

If it took 'thousands' to get noticed, what was she doing, her freshly polished nails that couldn't be impaired by doing her job. Texting. Selling on E-Bay.Sleeping on the job...

No, not only is 911 a farce, it ought to be done away with and you take simply take care of your own.

Attacked by ...criminals, pit bulls, eco-freako people who insist plastic must never be used and if you do, you should be punished, othrer crazy neighbors who insist you do as they insist or else...fine, I'll be willing to solve all these problems...and no, not by shooting them. Sure as heck, 911 can't help...if you can reach them and then if hey hang up on you sue them into oblivion....