Telling 911 Operator Gun Involved Gets Quicker Response, City Councilman Advises Residents

Baltimore City Councilman Robert W. Curran raised some eyebrows at a community meeting this month when he urged residents to speed up police response times by telling 911 operators "there is a gun involved," even if there is not.

The advice drew condemnation from the police union president, who called it irresponsible and warned it could endanger officers unnecessarily speeding to calls. The Baltimore Police Department's chief spokesman cautioned residents "to be truthful" when they call for emergency help.

But Curran, in an interview, defended the recommendation that he made during a July 21 community meeting in Hamilton Hills in Northeast Baltimore, saying he hears too often from constituents that it takes too long for police officers to respond to calls.

The councilman made his comments after a man voiced concerns about the time it took for police to respond to his complaint that his car had been vandalized.

"I've heard this many, many times," Curran said Wednesday. "I've been getting letters from community folks. They say they call 911, and the police don't show or show sometimes the next day. The gentleman said he felt it was a situation where there were kids jumping on the hood of his car, and he felt threatened."

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