Amanda Berry 911 call under review
The actions of the 911 operator who took the frantic phone call from Amanda Berry that ultimately led to her rescue, along with two other women, are under review following complaints from the public, according to a statement from a city official in Cleveland.
"While the call-taker complied with policies and procedures which enabled a very fast response by police, we have noted some concerns which will be the focus of our review, including the call-taker’s failure to remain on the line with Ms. Berry until police arrived on the scene," Martin Flask, director of public safety, said in a statement Tuesday.
Read the transcript of Amanda Berry's 911 call
Flask added that the operator took the call and sent information to a dispatcher in less than 90 seconds, which meant that police were on the scene in less than two minutes.
Berry was rescued from a home near downtown Cleveland on Monday along with Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight — all of whom disappeared separately about 10 years ago. Authorities say it appears the three were held captive.
The owner of the home, Ariel Castro, has been arrested along with his two brothers. The men have not been charged but could appear in court Wednesday.
During the call, which lasts about 100 seconds, Berry tells the dispatcher her name and asks for police, explaining that she has been kidnapped and missing for 10 years.
An audibly upset Berry asks when police will arrive, and the operator says that officers are being sent to her location.
During one segment of the call, the dispatcher tells Berry three times that she should talk to police when they arrive.
When Berry asks again when police will arrive, the operator says, "I told you they're on the way, talk to them when they get there."
Cleveland police are also facing questions about their handling of the case and have launched an internal review to see if they missed anything.
Authorities say police went to Castro's home twice over the past 15 years but not in connection to the women's disappearance.
Castro called in 2000 to report a fight on the street but no arrests were made.
In 2004, officers went to the home after child welfare officials alerted them that Castro, then a school bus driver, had apparently left a child unattended on a bus. No one answered the door and police ultimately determined that there was no criminal intent.
However, two neighbours say they called on two separate occasions.
Elsie Cintron, who lives three houses away, said her daughter saw a naked woman crawling in the backyard several years ago and called police. "But they didn't take it seriously," she said.
Another neighbour, Israel Lugo, said he heard pounding on some of the doors of the house in November 2011. Lugo said officers knocked on the front door but no one answered. Police walked to the side of the house and then left.
