New Arlington Dispatch System Will Quicken Police Response

ARLINGTON, MA – The Arlington Police Department has switched to a modern dispatch system that will direct all wireless 911 calls dialed in town directly to the department's call center, Chief Frederick Ryan said in a press release.

The department last week transitioned to the State 911 Department's Wireless Direct program, which will shorten the response time during an emergency, according to the release.

Arlington police now receive all Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint 911 calls originating from cell phones in town, rather than having them first routed to a regional dispatch center. The change reduces the amount of time to prompt an emergency response while slightly increasing the department's daily call volume.

"Research clearly indicates that if we can reduce the number of call transfers and instead receive calls directly, we can get front-line public safety resources to the critical incidents faster," Ryan said in a statement. "In emergency situations, seconds count, so the sooner first responders arrive on scene, especially in instances where there may be an active shooter, the quicker the threat is stopped."

The Arlington Police Department is one of a handful of police departments that have switched to the wireless direct program.

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