The Oakland Police Department (CA) has less than a year to improve the speed at which dispatchers answer 911 calls or it may lose state funding for its 911 operations.

The State of California requires 90% of all 911 calls be answered within 15 seconds, reported KRON. However, Oakland 911 call takers have only done that 46% of the time over the past 12 months, according to a news report by KTVU.

The Mercury News reported the department’s slow 911 response has been the subject of public scrutiny for the past several years, including two recent civil grand jury reports and a 2017 city audit.

An Alameda County Grand Jury Report stated in its 2019 review of Oakland’s 911 actions that “In an emergency, we expect our 911 call to be answered quickly and to speak with a person. Unfortunately, that is often not the case in the City of Oakland.” A grand jury again this year reviewed the Oakland Police Department’s 911’s performance and reported it may have become worse.

The California Office of Emergency Management issued a formal letter requiring the city to submit an improvement plan within 30 days. The City of Oakland will lose state funding, the state agency said, if they cannot meet the mandated requirements by next July.

If not, the state will not only take funding from the department, but also move 911 call-taking responsibilities elsewhere.