Falk: Two errors in Zimmermann's 911 call
A former dispatcher who answered a 911 call from Brittany Zimmermann's cell phone before she was allegedly stabbed to death in her West Doty Street apartment committed two different procedural errors in handling the call, according to Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk.
The dispatcher -- who has 20-years of experience and is described by Falk as "a seasoned veteran with a good work record" -- did not alert law enforcement of Zimmermann's call nor did she call back to Zimmerman's phone after being disconnected. Both inactions violate 911 Center policy.
However, even if protocol had been followed, Falk said she doesn't believe police could have responded in time to save the 21-year-old UW-Madison student. Zimmermann's bloodied body was found around 1 p.m. by her fiance, Jordan Gonnering, on April 2.
Monday, Falk wrote letters of apology to Zimmermann's family and Gonnering after reading an internal report on how the call was handled.
"I do not believe, had the errors not occurred, that her murder could've been prevented," said Falk.
The dispatcher, who hasn't been identified, faces disciplinary action and has been transferred to another department. She had requested the transfer prior to the murder.
Falk also announced Tuesday that 911 Center Director Joe Norwick will neither be fired nor demoted.
Norwick has come under intense scrutiny after denying the call had occurred, implying that the dispatcher was still answering 911 calls and for telling the public there was nothing to apologize for. Though she defended Norwick's ability to do his job, she did criticize how he's handled the matter.
"I have not agreed with a number of statements he's made in the last couple of days," she said. "But I have confidence in his ability to run the 911 Center."
Falk also stood by Norwick's claim that Madison police had requested that he not disclose the call had taken place. She provided reporters with e-mail from Madison police requesting that the county "not release information regarding the Doty Street homicide investigation."
"By law we have to honor the request of law enforcement and the District Attorney's Office," Falk said.
Last week, police chief Noble Wray denied Norwick's claim. Wray said that Norwick was asked to not disclose the contents of the call, not that a call existed. Wray also disputed Norwick's assertion that the call didn't stand out from the other 115 hang-up calls that 911 received the day of the murder.
"It would be accurate to state that there is evidence contained in the call, which should have resulted in a Madison police office being dispatched," Wray said at a press conference on Friday. "That would have been consistent with both Madison Police Department policy, and national 911 standards."
Falk said Tuesday that there were sounds on the tape, but the dispatcher did not hear them. She couldn't say how this was possible.
"Had the [dispatcher] believed an emergency existed, police would have been dispatched to the call from Ms. Zimmermann's phone," the report states. "The most precise location would have been a 24-unit apartment building next to Ms. Zimmermann's residence."
A one-page summary of the 40-page report says that when the call came in from Zimmermann's phone, the dispatcher made three inquiries before answering another call, this one from a landline. The landline call was a hang up and the dispatcher called back. Two males told her the call was a mistake. She never called back to Zimmermann's phone.
Based on an audio recording of the call, police initially believe the call back to the landline was to Zimmermann's phone, when in fact it had gone to a residence in Middleton. Police, who initially focused on locating the two males, weren't notified of this until April 15, nearly two weeks after the murder.
In response to the report, Falk issued Norwick a series of requests. She has asked that he review current training and personnel qualifications and that when a large volume of calls come in within a short period of time that they be reviewed as soon as possible. She also encouraged him to consult with various advisory boards on when to dispatch police when similar situations occur in the future.
Despite the errors outlined in the report and Norwick's apparent subterfuge, Falk assured that Dane County has a 911 system residents can count on. "We have a very caring group of operators in our 911 Center," she said.
Norwick will appear Thursday at a joint meeting of the County Public Protection and Judiciary Committe and the Personnel and Finance Committee. That meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in room 201 of the City County Building.
Brittany Zimmermann
