Crenshanda Williams, a 911 operator, was sent to jail. Why do you ask? She decided it was a good idea to hang up on thousands of callers simply because she was not in the mood to talk. Can you believe it?
Being a 911 operator is a serious position. People are calling in times of emergency, requiring immediate assistance. Can you imagine the stress and fear they must be experiencing? And this Williams lady could not be bothered to speak on the phone.
It may sound like a joke, but unfortunately, it is not. Williams spent 10 days in jail for her careless and irresponsible actions. It is a good thing someone finally saw through her nonsense and put an end to it.
An unconscious woman, a robbery in progress, and cars racing down the interstate all prompted people to call Houston’s 911 system — but only for a short time. According to Harris County prosecutors, thousands of calls were cut short by an operator who simply hung up on the callers. Crenshanda Williams, the former operator, was sentenced to ten days in jail and 18 months probation on two counts of interfering with an emergency telephone call.
“Nobody’s got time for this.” According to a 2016 report by local KPRC TV, Williams was recorded saying “for real” after ending a call in which a security guard attempted to report two cars driving at high speeds on Interstate 45 South.
Williams worked at the Houston Emergency Center for approximately a year and a half before being fired in 2016. Williams’ supervisors realized she was responsible for cutting off emergency calls after only a few seconds, forcing callers to try again — and wonder why they could not get help.
Williams reportedly told police that she did not want to talk to anyone. According to the Houston Chronicle, her attorney recently stated that she was going through a difficult time in her life.
In March 2016, an engineer named Hua Li called 911 to report an armed robbery at a convenience store. He had just left the store and was calling from the parking lot. On his way out, he heard gunfire.
“They simply said, ‘This is 911. How can I help you? “I was trying to finish my sentence when we got disconnected,” Li later told KPRC.
“Li called again and spoke with a different operator,” the station reported. “By the time police arrived, however, the store manager had been shot and killed.”
So, let us hope Crenshanda Williams learns her lesson and that this incident serves as a reminder to all 911 operators to be proactive, professional, and, most importantly, be there for those in need.