14-02-2025
Labette County 911 calls drop in 2024
LABETTE COUNTY, Kan. — The Labette County dispatch reports a decrease in its number of calls last year.
The Labette County Sheriff's Office announced a total of 5,972 emergency calls in 2024.
That's a drop from the total of 6,138 back in 2023.
The overall total shows an increase in calls related to traffic stops, medical emergencies, fires, and officer-initiated items.
Labette County Emergency Communications 911 Director Brandy Scott says these numbers can help dispatchers be more accountable to the public and help law enforcement pinpoint certain areas.
Scott adds that in some cases, an increase in calls could be related to weather—such as droughts leading to more fires or snow leading to more people in ditches.
But when people call 911—and for what reason—could play a role in slightly skewing the numbers as well.
'But if you see something that needs to be reported but isn't really an emergency, you can go ahead and report it in. And I think that's why you see our overall calls went up just a little bit, but our 911 calls actually went down. I think the general public's doing better about using 911 only when 911 is needed,' said Scott.
Scott says this year, dispatch started a new app called 'Lightning'—which allows the sheriff's office to have full access to the 911 map.
For example, if a dispatcher is on a call, either via phone or video chat, the responding officer can see where that person is and go from there.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
