'Where's the effing police?' More residents concerned with N.W.T. RCMP dispatch

It washard enough to find a badly beaten woman lying on her couchafter an allegeddomestic dispute. But the man whofound her said his calls to RCMPdispatch for help only added to his troubles, and his fears for her safety.

"[She was] bleeding profusely from her head," he said."It's not just a little scrape, it's like blood pouring out."

The man works for the localgovernment in asmall communityin the Northwest Territories. The CBC agreed to grant the man anonymity over concerns for his job security, and also omittedidentifying place names.

He said when he found the battered woman, he called the community health centre and RCMP dispatch. The RCMP Operational Communications Centre in Yellowknife handles all police-related calls for the N.W.T.

The woman was too distraught to talk to the dispatcher herself, he said.

He said his call was met with resistance.

• Yellowknife woman says RCMP dispatch delays could endanger others

"[The dispatcher]said 'I want to know if she's going to press charges, if not I'm not going to call the police.'"

The conversationwent back and forth, as the dispatcher allegedly continued to ask about pressing charges.

"I said, 'It doesn't matter, she's bleeding and she needs the police here. What if the guy comes back?'"

Frustrated and worried, he said he took the woman to the local health centre. He said he called the dispatcherback afterwardwhen police still hadn't shown up;the dispatcher asked him why he moved her.

"I said 'I'm not going to leave her sitting there for 15 minutes bleeding while you debate with yourself whether to call the police or not.'"

"I had to curse. I said, 'Where's the effing police?'"

More than an isolated incident

For him, the issue appears systematic and he said he'shad difficulties dealing with manyemergency dispatchers before.

"Most of these dispatchers, they don't understand there's no home addresses in small communities no street names, no house numbers."

He said the lack of understanding, and perceived rudeness,increases frustration and most people in his community would rather not call at all.

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"I always call it the 20 questionswhen you call dispatch. They need to break that down more," he said. "It's like they don't believe you."

He isn't the only person to express concerns.

Yellowknife resident MichaelZemnickysaid he no longer trusts dispatchers. He spoke withCBCthrough emailbecause of his aphasia, a languagedisorder brought on by braindamage.

He said that in 2016his ex-partnercame to his apartment and wouldn't leave when he asked, so he phoned RCMPdispatch.

"I asked the officer to send some help and I told her my ex is very violent and I need [an] officer or she goes angry. The woman denied my request and told me that she needs to talkto her [the ex] on the phone," he said.

"I begged for her to send helpand I was denied again," he said, adding the dispatcher insisted on talking to his ex on speaker-phone.

Zemnickysaid he tried to hide as his ex became more violent, and that hewaseventually treated by adoctor for injuries he sustained duringthe incident.

"I lost the faith for the RCMP 911 centre and I need help and they caused me to suffer and others too,"he said.

36% vacancy rate in N.W.T.

As of October 2017, there was a 36 per cent vacancy rate in RCMP Operational Communications Centres in the Northwest Territories.

• All RCMP communications centres across Canada understaffed, some by more than 50%

The CBCrequested an interview with N.W.T.RCMPregarding dispatch staffing and these allegations, but no one was immediatelyavailable for comment.

The under-staffing affects employees' well-being and livelihood, said Nathalie Stringer, an assistant director with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

The union has filed to representRCMPdispatch operators across Canada.

"I think they're tired," Stringer said. "They're working longer shifts. They're working extra hours, a lot of them are going on leave."

Stringer said if CUPEbecomes the bargaining agent in avote beginning next week, they'll start working on staffing issues.

"I think it's one of the biggest pressing issues that needs to be resolved as soon as possible."