When someone calls 911 for an emergency like a violent crime in progress or a suicide attempt, every second matters. Ideally, police respond to these top-priority emergencies within 8 minutes and 14 seconds. Howard County Police set a goal of arriving to 80% of top-priority calls within this timeframe.

In 2024, officers met the 8 minute, 14 second standard 73.3% of the time, down slightly from 76.7% in 2023. While this falls short of the 80% goal, the department’s average is still in line with national benchmarks, which range between 7 and 9 minutes for urban counties.

Many factors influence how fast officers can get to a scene: multiple emergencies at once, weather, traffic, or the size of patrol areas. To improve, the department has reconfigured patrol beats, hired new officers to match population growth, and invested in better technology for both officers and dispatchers. Maintaining enough trained officers and 911 operators remains a top priority.