LOS ANGELES, CA – The host of a well-known Los Angeles podcast is raising alarm over public safety response times after he says he was left on hold for nearly an hour while trying to report a break-in at his family’s home.
Evan Lovett, creator and host of the “LA In a Minute” podcast, detailed the ordeal in a social media video posted on Saturday, describing a burglary that occurred the night before at his home. According to Lovett, he and his family returned from his son’s baseball game on Friday evening to find a glass door shattered and the interior of their house ransacked.
Among the items taken, Lovett said, were personal and irreplaceable belongings, including a safe containing memorabilia from his late father and jewelry from various family members. But while the break-in itself was upsetting, Lovett said the most disturbing part of the experience was what came next: a 59-minute hold while trying to reach the Los Angeles Police Department through 911.
Lovett explained that after quickly realizing the burglary was not ongoing and no lives were in immediate danger, he told emergency dispatch that the call was not life-threatening. He was transferred from 911 to LAPD and placed on hold, where he remained for nearly an hour before officers were dispatched to his home.
“This s*** is unnerving,” Lovett said in his video. “Luckily, it’s just a home burglary. It wasn’t somebody dying or choking, that was shot or something. But what happens if it was a real-time emergency?”
The incident has renewed scrutiny over Los Angeles’ emergency response capabilities, particularly at a time when city departments continue to grapple with staff shortages. Lovett emphasized that once officers did arrive, they were courteous and professional. According to him, the officers explained they were dealing with a backlog of calls and a severely limited workforce.
“They get 7,500 to 10,000 calls per day,” Lovett recounted. “So with a staff of, I want to say under three dozen, that’s a very overwhelming volume. And that’s 24 hours a day.”
Despite his initial frustration, Lovett said he recognized the challenge facing emergency personnel and conceded that, given the non-life-threatening nature of the call, a 58-minute wait “can be improved” but may be reasonable under current conditions. “To be fully honest, in retrospect… it’s sufficient,” he added.
The video quickly gained traction online, prompting reactions from public officials. Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who represents Lovett’s district, said in a statement that her office had reached out to him directly. She described the current wait times for emergency calls as “unacceptably long” and attributed the delays to a shortfall in hiring, especially in 911 dispatch operations.
Mayor Karen Bass also issued a statement following the incident, confirming that her office is “looking into what happened.” Bass noted that the city hired 100 new 911 dispatchers in 2024 and continues efforts to expand staff and address longstanding gaps in emergency services.
In October, the Los Angeles Police Department reported that sworn officer hiring was down 8% over a two-year period, despite an increase in applicants. The LAPD attributed much of the slowdown to bureaucratic delays in background checks and other administrative procedures required before new hires can be cleared for duty.
Lovett’s experience underscores a broader challenge in Los Angeles as the city attempts to maintain timely emergency services amid surging call volumes and staffing shortages. While the incident at his home did not involve violence or injury, it raised concerns over what could happen in more urgent scenarios and has prompted a wider conversation about what residents can expect when they dial 911.
