On Feb. 11, a car crashed into Taqueria Downtown, a restaurant in Jersey City, prompting onlookers and the restaurant’s general manager to call 911. But they say they did not get a call back for 10 to 20 minutes. In a city where a third of the municipal budget goes to public safety, residents say an unresponsive 911 service is not acceptable.
Jim Shea, Jersey City’s public safety director, says the department — which handles about 43,000 calls a month — is looking into the incident at the restaurant. But he says he’s not aware of a chronic problem with the city’s 911 system. He admits to stubborn staff shortages — mostly related to COVID-19 — and a system bogged down by more regulation than innovation.
