9-1-1 calls to Decorah Police are increasing

The invention of the cell phone is making life busier for police departments, including the Decorah Police Department.

Before cell phones, witness to an accident had to find a phone in order to contact police.  Now, says Decorah Police Chief Bill Nixon, "The dispatcher is getting perhaps ten phone calls per incident." 

Decorah police received 3,879 9-1-1 calls during 2011—an average of 323 calls a month.    But there were 384 9-1-1 calls in October and 406 9-1-1 calls in November.  By comparison, police received 3,145 9-1-1 calls in 2007--an average of 262 9-1-1 calls a month.  "It's growing with the proliferation of cell phones," says Nixon.