The police dispatcher received hree phone calls requesting services from the police. Which phone call should be a priority according to the differential response strategy?

Question

Call #1: There is a report of an active shooting at the Wolfchase Mall. The caller, who claims to be a witness, has stated two people have been injured and the shooting is still in progress.
Call #2: Three cars have gotten into a wreck in Cordova by the Malco movie theater. The caller says there are no apparent injuries at this time, though the road is blocked.
Call #3: Best Buy in east Memphis has called the police because they caught a customer attempting to steal a $400 laptop and are requesting an officer to make an arrest.
Call #1
Call #2
Call #3
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• d
Differential response requires all three calls to be answered at the same time

Answer 1

According to the differential response strategy, the priority should be given to Call #1. The reason is that it involves an active shooting situation at the Wolfchase Mall, with two people reported injured and the incident still ongoing. This poses an immediate threat to life and public safety, making it the highest priority.

Calls #2 and #3, while they also require police attention, do not present the same level of urgent danger to individuals or the public as Call #1. Therefore, they would be addressed after the active shooting scenario is dealt with.