‘Do I Have Your Full Attention?’

It’s not that Karen Clinton called police to report a crime or even lodge a complaint. Instead, it was Karen who was surprised to find out the police were calling her.

Now, a 911 dispatcher is facing two misdemeanor charges after that call, including a charge of telecommunications harassment, according to the Fox I-8 Team’s investigation. She is also no longer employed with the Twinsburg Police Department.

Loretta Nash appeared in Stow Municipal Court on Thursday, per the news outlet, where she was accused of making the call to Clinton in order to “harass, intimidate or abuse.” Nash pleaded not guilty and bonded out. Her trial is set for September

In a statement received by Fox 8, Twinsburg Mary Sam Scaffidi said, “We take these matters very seriously and will continue to do so if something this unfortunate happens again.”

Clinton, who said she was was a former 911 dispatcher herself years ago, said she spoke out and reported the incident in hopes no one else would have to go through what she did. “To do that is cruel,” she said. “It’s cruel.”

According to a recording of the call heard by Fox 8, Clinton received the call last month. “Karen, it’s the Twinsburg Police Department calling. Can I have your attention?” the voice on the other end of the line said when Clinton picked up.

“It took me to my knees. It really did. It terrified me,” Clinton told Fox 8 of that moment, as she had no idea why the police might be calling her.

“Do I have your full attention?” the voice on the line said.

Clinton’s voice then replied, “Yeah, what’s wrong? Wait, do I need to sit down?”

“No, you don’t have to sit down. Everything’s fine,” the voice said, both calming her frayed nerves and confusing her more at the same time. If it wasn’t something bad, Clinton wondered, why would the police be calling her?

According to Fox 8’s reporting, the dispatcher on the phone told her that she had won a prize as she had called the police a total of 183 times over the past 15 years.

The dispatcher then told her about more than 900 traffic details on her street and more than 1000 traffic stops.

Clinton admitted to Fox 8 that she is a neighborhood watchdog who has called the police to report various things over the years, but didn’t think she deserved recognition for it.

The dispatcher went on.

“So, you win the prize. It’s called the booby prize,” the voice said. “You are the dumbest person to call the police department on a repeated basis. So, thank you for being a resident of this city and have a wonderful life.”

Clinton was stunned by the call and complained about it to city hall, leading to the dispatcher losing her job and the charges brought against her.

“This behavior can’t be tolerated. It certainly can’t be tolerated in the city of Twinsburg,” Clinton told Fox 8. “Can’t be tolerated in any community.”