DENVER -- An exclusive 7NEWS investigation is raising more questions about the quality of service inside Denver's 911 emergency call center.

Last August, 7NEWS exposed the problem when 911 callers said that they had been put on hold for 10 minutes. Following the investigation, Denver's police department pledged to fix the problems but 7NEWS Investigator Tony Kovaleski has uncovered new breakdowns and more delays on calls for help.

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Statistics from the police department show that the average 911 call is answered in less than five seconds but that wasn't the case two weeks ago when a neighborhood called for help.

"We needed help and they weren't here to help us," said 911 caller Stella Baca, crying.

"When you call 911 you expect to speak to somebody automatically. That's why you are calling 911," said 911 caller Renee Martinez.

On Sunday, June 6, cousins Martinez and Baca needed emergency help. Seconds earlier they discovered the bloodied and beaten body of their 25-year-old cousin Dometria Carbajal.

"We could not get through to these people. We were crying out for help and they did not come through for us," said Martinez.

"We're in desperate need of help over here and they put us on hold," said Baca.

In their time of need, instead of help they heard the message, "This is Denver 911. Stay on the line." And they heard it over and over again.

"There was four people with me on different phones and none of them could get through," said Martinez.

As the minutes passed, the anger and frustration grew. Neighbors realized something was wrong and tried to help.

"I just heard screaming, and somebody said, 'Call 911,'" said Krista Kaufmann, a neighbor who also called 911. "I kept hearing, 'Somebody call 911. She's dead. She's dead. There's blood everywhere.'"

Like the others, Kaufmann's call went on hold and unanswered for several minutes.

Records obtained by 7NEWS expose a troubling reality inside Denver's emergency call center. The first call sat on hold for three minutes and 15 seconds before it was answered by a 911 agent. The second call remained on hold for four minutes and 20 seconds. The third call was on hold four minutes and 35 seconds and the fourth call four minutes and 29 seconds.

Tony Kovaleski, 7NEWS: "The message we have heard from the community is the police department failed that afternoon. Would you agree?"
Detective Teresa Garcia\Denver Police Department: "No, I certainly do not agree to that ... We responded in a reasonable amount of time."

Police records show that it took 14 minutes and 29 seconds from the time of the first call until an officer arrived to begin investigating Carbajal's murder.

"We did not fail the public. We did not fail the people that day," Garcia said.

But the department does admit it was one 911 agent short that day and supervisors were unable to fill the position. DPD also blames impatient callers hanging up and redialing for further delaying the officer's response.

"Maybe we are not doing a good enough job in educating the people on how to use 911," said Garcia.

"That says to me that they don't care so what's 911 for," said Baca.

"I certainly hope that Mayor (John) Hickenlooper listens and I certainly hopes that (Chief Gerry) Whitman listens because it's a problem. It's a big problem and it's totally unacceptable," said Kaufmann.

"You're calling 911 for a reason. Obviously because you need help and you're not getting it being put on hold," Baca said.

Last August, high-ranking members of Denver's police department said they would add more 911 callers, adjust staffing levels and fix the problem.

Ten months later, people are still calling 911, needing emergency help and sitting on hold for several minutes.

If this has happened to you, in Denver or anywhere in Colorado or Wyoming, call our tip line at (303) 83-TIPS (8477) or e-mail us at newstips@thedenverchannel.com to share your story and we will investigate.