DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A local woman said she was shocked when a 911 dispatcher told her she would not be sending officers to help after someone smashed her car window and stole her purse.
“It was broad daylight and I wasn’t safe," said Meka Bennett.
Bennett told Channel 2's Nefertiti Jaquez that when she walked out of a DeKalb County Walgreens back out to her car, she saw shattered glass everywhere.
Police said thieves smashed her window and snatched her purse, which was shoved under the passenger seat, before taking off.
“It was horrible, there is no other way I could put it,” Bennett said.
Bennett said she immediately called 911 to report the break-in, but the dispatcher told her she wouldn’t be sending officers out to help.
“She was like, 'We don’t send anyone for car break-ins.' She said, 'Someone will give you a call back and take a report over the phone.' I just didn’t know what to do at that point,” Bennett said.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Flood Watch in effect as heavy rain, storms move through
- Man shot and killed outside of local music producer's clothing store
- Pharmacist says natural drugs can work as well as Tamiflu to fight flu
Bennett said she was stunned because she expected the 911 operator to help make a scary situation less stressful.
“I think they could have probably caught them," she said.
Adding to her frustration, she believes if officers had responded to the scene on Tuesday, they might have caught the perpetrators because Bennett said the thieves used one of her stolen credit cards less than a half mile away at a gas station along East Ponce De Leon Avenue shortly after committing the crime.
“They were still in the area,” Bennett said.
We reached out to DeKalb County police and they said standard procedure was followed and the victim was given a call back so she could file a report over the phone.
We’re told in emergency situations like shootings, sexual assaults and fires are always given priority over situations where police response is not urgent or time sensitive. They said the important lifelines are meant for people or property in immediate jeopardy or when a crime is in progress.
"If something happens again, somewhere else like then what do I do? I’m going to feel like, why even call?," Bennett said.
Cox Media Group
