A Lawrence, Mass., 911 operator is under investigation, with officials believing she hung up on callers who didn't speak English, according to the Boston Herald.
Lawrence Police Chief James Fitzpatrick reported that one of the callers who was hung up on never called back. He is "disgusted" by the treatment of these callers, according to CBS Boston.
What's more horrifying for the police chief, as well as the community, is that this was not the first incident involving the dispatcher, but the third.
Dispatchers are supposed to contact a translator if there is a language barrier, according to WCVB. Instead, this dispatcher gave up on the callers and ended the call without asking for any assistance.
Fitzpatrick urges people to call 911 even if they are non-English speakers, despite these recent incidents.
The mayor of the city, Daniel Rivera, said that Lawrence is approximately 75 percent Spanish-speaking, according to CBS News. U.S. Census estimates show that one-third of the city's residents speak English "less than very well," according to the Boston Herald.
In a statement, Rivera said, "It's not just that they didn't do their job, they put people in harm's way," according to CBS Boston.
The dispatcher's name has not been released, but she has been placed on paid leave, according to CBS Boston. Her job hangs in the balance.
