A Chicago mom who called 911 during a terrifying break-in was left on her own for hours — with dispatchers telling her to call her local representative to demand more police funding.
Michelle called the emergency hotline six times after coming face-to-face with two masked bandits, only for the strained supervisor to tell her the city’s severe budget cuts had left them with a bare-bones staff.
“A gentleman got on and said sorry to say we have no units to send you … then there was an awkward pause,” Michelle told NBC Chicago Wednesday, declining to share her name or face while her would-be robbers are still on the loose.
“He also recommended I call my alderman and I said why, and he said encourage him to hire more police. The dispatcher also asked me if I would consider defending myself … if I had a weapon or considered getting one.”
According to Michelle, the two strangers walked through her open back door around 12:30 p.m. after she let her dog out.
They were even caught on her security camera “moseying” up to her property after climbing over a 6-foot-tall fence, but quickly sprinting away after finding the homeowner inside the house.
“I screamed: ‘I am calling the police’ and they bolted,” Michelle recalled.
Michelle and a neighbor tried chasing after the men before she followed through on her promise.
A dispatcher promised the frightened mother that help was on the way and directed her to wait outside.
But officers didn’t arrive, Michelle said.
After an hour and a half and six phone calls to 911, she finally demanded answers from a dispatch supervisor, who indicated the slow response was due to the city’s lackluster police department funding.
It would be another two and a half hours before cops finally arrived.
“The officers who did show up cared and were apologetic it took so long to get them there,” Michelle said.
“I don’t think it is the police department’s fault they are overstaffed and overwhelmed.”
Chicago Police told NBC Chicago that the delay in getting officers to Michelle’s home may have been related to the priority list for routine dispatch calls for 911 — because there was no immediate threat to life, Michelle was left waiting as officers addressed more pressing concerns in the area.
Despite her frustration, Michelle heeded the dispatch supervisor’s advice and called her alderman’s office and is waiting to meet with him in person.
“It is awful that our neighbor experienced this, everyone deserves to feel safe in their home,” 1st Ward Alderman Daniel La Spata said in a statement.
“My staff alerted me to the issue as soon as they heard, and I am in contact with 12th District Police leadership. I will continue to support any resources our districts request, and I will continue to work with the City on a proposed satellite location within West Town for the 12th District police.”
