122 lines
5.8 KiB
Plaintext
122 lines
5.8 KiB
Plaintext
November 1990
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POINT OF VIEW
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DISPATCHING UNITS:
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IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE "FIRST LINE"
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By
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Bob Blankenship
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Chief
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Redding, California, Police Department
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Uniformed patrol officers are generally looked upon as the
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most essential element of any police organization. Police
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management views these officers as its first and foremost
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contact with the public. Investigators and detectives are also
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perceived as fulfilling a challenging and worthwhile first-line
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role. Unfortunately, this perception does not always extend to
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police dispatchers.
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Generally, dispatchers and other individuals in
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communications and recordkeeping posts are often not as highly
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valued as patrol officers or investigators. Not only is this
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view incorrect, but it also creates serious problems in police
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departments around the country. And, in the future,
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improvements in technology and officer training will be severely
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undermined if dispatching units, in many cases the department's
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first contact with the public, are not re-evaluated and
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improvements implemented.
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THE PROBLEM
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In most departments, the dispatching unit is part of the
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Records and Communications Division--the nerve center of the
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agency. Here, calls for service are relayed to officers for
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response, and thus, this function serves as the patrol officer's
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life-line to assistance and information.
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Obviously, departments would be better served if
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dispatchers remained on the job and became experienced,
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motivated members of the law enforcement team. However, such a
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preferred scenario takes place in only a few departments.
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Personnel in these units are usually expected to perform tasking
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and stressful duties with little training and even less
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recognition. This leads to frustration, job burnout, and
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eventually, decreases the effectiveness of the department in
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serving the community.
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In addition to stressful working conditions, relatively low
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pay, and little organizational empathy, dispatchers are expected
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to work in small, cramped rooms with no windows and to answer
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several telephones, radios, and teletype machines, without
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adequate staff to ensure either lunch or rest breaks. These
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conditions, along with a general lack of respect from officers
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and investigators, serve to discourage and frustrate
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dispatchers.
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RECOMMENDED CHANGES
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Dispatchers often have the first official contact with the
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public. They talk to potential witnesses, victims, and
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survivors of violent attacks. They may also speak to people
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suspected of criminal activity. They keep track of officers in
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the field at all times. They provide information to officers
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for record checks, phone calls, and car stops. Because of the
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importance of these functions, the department should value
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dispatchers as professionals by making every effort to ensure
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that the personnel in these positions are properly selected,
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well-trained, and encouraged to remain with the organization.
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Background investigations should be conducted for every
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applicant who an agency considers hiring. Psychological testing
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and evaluation should be mandatory for individuals applying for
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dispatcher positions, enabling an agency to identify those
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candidates who may not be suited to work in a highly stressful
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environment.
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Departments should develop a training manual to be given to
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each new dispatcher. The manual should be categorized into
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weeks, with the first week concentrating on basic information,
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such as code numbers most often used by dispatchers and
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officers' call numbers. In succeeding weeks, more detailed
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information should be presented, such as instructing dispatchers
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on the proper way to handle specific situations and other more
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complex topics. Also, dispatchers should be assigned to an
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experienced training officer, one who has been instructed in
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successful training methods for dispatchers.
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Dispatchers should attend a mandatory basic dispatcher
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course for a minimum of 40 hours. Here, they should be schooled
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in the criminal and civil code sections dispatchers encounter
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frequently. It is important that dispatchers understand the
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elements of these various code sections. This training should
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also include hands-on, practical exercises in emergency phone
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situations that are often encountered by police dispatchers,
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such as speaking to potential suicides or hostage takers.
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Supervisory dispatchers should receive further supervisory
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training, just as other police managers do.
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Agencies should ensure that newly assigned dispatchers are
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familiar with departmental rules, regulations, general orders,
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and chain of command. Dispatchers should also be familiar with
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those employees with whom they will be working, either directly
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or indirectly.
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CONCLUSION
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Dispatching units are essential to the mission of all
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police agencies. Yet, many departments suffer from high
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turnover and burnout rates for personnel assigned to these
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positions. As the potential pool of candidates for these and
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all law enforcement positions becomes smaller, it will be
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increasingly important for agencies to hire and train qualified
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personnel. Until significant improvements are made in
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dispatching units, however, many departments will find it
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difficult to do so. The recommendations outlined above are
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intended to offer viable solutions to a problem which, left
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unchecked, may result in serious consequences for many
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departments.
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