BELL COUNTY, Texas(KXXV) — New equipment approved by the Killeen City Council for more than 400,000 dollars is allowing our first responders to get you help faster with virtual video.
- Real-Time Crime Center goes live on Jan 15.
- Call answer times for 911 dispatch are up to two seconds.
- Dispatch will begin hiring in January.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"Every officer will have a body camera, every officer will have their own taser, every officer that has a police car will have an in-car camera system," said Chief Pedro Lopez with the Killeen Police Department.
New equipment approved by the Killeen City Council for more than 400,000 dollars is allowing our first responders to get you help faster with the use of virtual video in all 130 Killeen police cars and community feedback.
"Now we can redact video on the fly, in the past say we had an hour video, it would take us about 2-3 hours to redact video now we can do it in 5 minutes,” said Cheif Lopez.
A new Real-Time Crime Center is set to go live on January 15, giving KPD access to all city cameras. Allowing the public to also register through KPD Connect for real crime information.
"And that's the system that allows us to see how long the call has been holding whether it's 5 minutes, an hour, or 2 hours," said Cheif Lopez.
"We have dispatchers on either end of the room that can also answer 911 then we have dedicated 911 positions in the center meaning they just don't have radio," said Aubrey Huckaby, Executive Director of Bell County Communications Center.
However, anyone on this floor can answer 911 calls at the Bell County 911 communications center, which receives around 600 calls a day.
"So for the 2024 year to date, our average answer to 911 calls is 7 seconds," Huckaby said.
That is 2 seconds higher than before the pandemic.
"At five seconds, we are about two rings. At seven seconds, it is about four rings," Huckaby said.
But seconds can seem like a lifetime on the other end. So, to compensate for being short-staffed at the moment, the County is planning to hire more people next month, helping the center deal with the increased calls from our growing population.
Some requirements are customer service skills, 18 years or older, a high school diploma, and a background check. Training will be provided on-site.
"It's the critical link when someone calls for help because of an emergency," Huckaby said." They call 911."
Click here for KPD Connect.
Click here for Bell County 911 Communications Center applications.
