CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Communication Bureau handles hundreds of thousands of 911 calls every year.
Most of them are routine, but every now and then there is a call that is memorable in a good way for 911 operators.
911 Dispatcher: “Do you need police, fire or medic?”
Caller: “Emergency, someone broke into our house.”
A 13-year-old kid is on the other end of the line hiding in an upstairs bedroom with his 10-year-old brother because a burglar broke in.
NewsChannel 36 is not identifying the children, but the burglary occurred in the University City Division just before 8 a.m. on July 21 of 2010.
911 Dispatcher: “Where are you?”
Caller: “We’re in our bedroom hiding. Oh no, they found us. Please.”
Police just recently released the 911 tapes because the burglar was convicted. The children were home alone and their parents were at work. The only adult in this situation was the 911 operator.
"I'm a compassionate person, but having children myself makes that more intense, that when I do get a child caller there is more patience," said the operator, who did not want to be identified. "He sounded definitely scared, but he was like a confident scared."
The suspect came upstairs and the kids could hear him in the adjacent bedroom.
Caller: “He's in my brother’s room knocking stuff over.”
911: “Doing what?”
Caller: “Knocking stuff over.”
The children were doing their best to keep quiet when a ringing cell phone gives away their position.
"That’s not good. I think I asked him what it was," recalled the operator.
The kids heard the suspect walking toward their door.
Caller: "You got to get here. Hurry.”
911: “He's at your bedroom door now?”
Caller: “Yes, please.”
911: “Tell me if he tries to turn the knob, push, anything.”
The operator assures the children that the police are on their way and a major part of her focus is keeping them calm.
"Don’t get excited because they will get excited, so you have to talk calmly," the operator recalled.
The operator’s boss is Captain Mike Campagna.
"She did a fantastic job. She had a mental image of what was going on in that house. She was able to take the emotion out of it," said Campagna.
Police arrived in time to find the suspect in the neighborhood.
After a pursuit to Cabarrus County, officers arrested 21-year-old Andre Glover. Glover was tried and convicted on burglary charges.
The operator was able to tell the children it was safe to come out.
"It's an awesome feeling. Because of what I did they were safe, and the bad guy goes to jail.”
