2 Investigators: Burglary Call Stalls At City’s 9-1-1 Center

December 3, 2012 10:09 PM " (CBS) — A Chicago home was burglarized, but the alarm went off a security company was able to contact the city’s 9-1-1 center.

What happened next has the homeowner outraged. She shared her story with CBS 2′s Dave Savini to warn other Chicagoans and business owners.

Susan Sandberg’s home was burglarized in September, during the middle of the day. Her burglar alarm system worked, but she says Chicago’s 9-1-1 center failed her.

“I just don’t feel safe in my home even with my alarm on,” Sandberg says.

She says the burglar-alarm monitoring agency repeatedly called the 9-1-1 center for help, only to be disconnected. The security company representative kept getting a message, “Your party cannot be reached, please hang up and dial again,” before being disconnected.

Sandberg says the repeated delay meant the burglars had plenty of time to go through her home, take what they wanted and get away.

City officials say burglar alarm company operators do not actually dial 9-1-1. They dial a special seven-digit phone number set up for alarm companies. The calls still go into the 9-1-1 center, called the Chicago Office Of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) "

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