Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I would just like everyone's opinion on what they think of my county's 911 center. Let me preface it by saying that not one of the 100+ officers I know, has ever had anything good to say about them.




1. Don't use the tone on hot calls
2. Step on themselves so much the call needs to be repeated
3x
3. Tone out the FD, then don't give a message, or tone out a hot call then don't give a message.
4. Argue with officers on the radio
5. Call an officer by the wrong number...After it has been corrected... 4 times
6. SCREAM into the radio in a panicked voice when asking for status checks.
7. Need to ask for a description 5 times, when an officer on portable, on the other side of the county hears it clearly the first time.
8. Gave an officer a hard time on a traffic stop going sideways fast.( Three males, darked out road, suspended license, possible narcotics)
9. Exaggurate emergencies, NOT the caller, as sometimes Fire dispatch gets the call right.
10. Not pay attention to calls, ie. send PD to a property damage only accident, while FD and State Police, is being sent to the same one for a PIAA
11. By my observation, calls that come in through them turn out to be unfounded more often than those called into the local police station.
12. Play music radio, TV and use cell phones, and laugh so hard calls are drowned out.

And that is what I've picked up secondhand, and while on a few ride-alongs, (less than ten)

That being said there are a few people there who are great at what they do, and anticipate what is going to happen next, and act on it.

What do you think of this

Doesn't sound like a problem with the dispatcher but it does sound like a few Supervisors need to get the boot.

That would be a good start, personally, I think the Director needs to go as well. This is because officers have "visited" both the center and the county administration offices to complain on multiple occasions, but nothing gets fixed.


Just for history, about 15 years ago when we got 911, they wanted to build a center with a small number of county call takers, and the dispatchers from all departments in one building, as a call came in, it would be fowarded to the appropriate dispatcher. But, the county executives wife or something needed a job, and she just happened to be a Customer Service Representative for a telephone company, so... and it gets better, she was from the south, so all positions were advertised in the south, not one was advertised in the county.

All of the original staff are gone now, but it just went from political problems, to functional problems.

I mean, sometimes, an officer waits five minutes, and then has to ASK to get his data back.

That would be a good start, personally, I think the Director needs to go as well. This is because officers have "visited" both the center and the county administration offices to complain on multiple occasions, but nothing gets fixed.


Just for history, about 15 years ago when we got 911, they wanted to build a center with a small number of county call takers, and the dispatchers from all departments in one building, as a call came in, it would be fowarded to the appropriate dispatcher. But, the county executives wife or something needed a job, and she just happened to be a Customer Service Representative for a telephone company, so... and it gets better, she was from the south, so all positions were advertised in the south, not one was advertised in the county.

All of the original staff are gone now, but it just went from political problems, to functional problems.

I mean, sometimes, an officer waits five minutes, and then has to ASK to get his data back.

They were wanting to do a similar center here. Right now, all the agencies are separate. The 911 center, the Sheriff, the Fire/EMS(for the county,) and the three city PDs in the county all have separate dispatch's. They want to combine the 911 center, and the other departments into one center, but due to all the admins wanting to be in charge of it by themselves, they can't seem to get it worked out.

Is it possible for you to sit in the comm center for a few hours and observe there as well as ride on the road? Often you can obtain a different perspective by looking at both sides of the coin. What state are you in, out of curiosity? I'm always interested in how things are done in other juristictions.

Oh, yes i have done a ride-along in dispatch with my SO that has its own dispatchers.

They are able to answer the radio for up to 20+ patrol cars (less active, but getting busier esp. on 3-11, plus enter warrants, plus answer the main phone lines, and monitor all other frequencies for instances that may occur on county property with ONE or TWO persons.


In fact before 911 was created the sheriff dispatched 20 PD's 40 to 45 Fire/EMS, plus entered warrants with only two to three dispatchers. Our 911 center needs 10 people to do that, without the warrant entry tasks.

BTW, I am in NYS, anyone know what center I am referring to?

BTW, I am in NYS, anyone know what center I am referring to?

Should anyone have the answer, it wouldn't be prudent to post this publicly nor is it in good form to disparage the Center. ;)

Thanks Canuk, :D

Please send the message in a PM, and if you have stories, stick to the facts, not personal attacks

I loved dispatching. On traffic stops the Officer would call out the license plate and location. 95% of the time I would have his plate return and drivers license return with any local history ready for him by the time he got back to his car to tell me the drivers name.

I loved dispatching. On traffic stops the Officer would call out the license plate and location. 95% of the time I would have his plate return and drivers license return with any local history ready for him by the time he got back to his car to tell me the drivers name.

Your officers walked back to the car?! wow... :p Ours will stand on the side of the road, with traffic whizzing by, and the mic about 8 inches to the side of their mouth, using a portable that might have reception. :D Makes it interesting.

Oh, yes i have done a ride-along in dispatch with my SO that has its own dispatchers.

They are able to answer the radio for up to 20+ patrol cars (less active, but getting busier esp. on 3-11, plus enter warrants, plus answer the main phone lines, and monitor all other frequencies for instances that may occur on county property with ONE or TWO persons.


In fact before 911 was created the sheriff dispatched 20 PD's 40 to 45 Fire/EMS, plus entered warrants with only two to three dispatchers. Our 911 center needs 10 people to do that, without the warrant entry tasks.

BTW, I am in NYS, anyone know what center I am referring to?

Wow, sounds like that was in heaven....I'm not sure that all of that is humanly possible.

I'm lucky enough to work for a big enough agency that we don't have to handle phones while handling a radio....I see that as an officer safety issue.

Is this a problem??? That is how our radio traffic sounds like on every shift with my department. Use too anyway.
We got new radios a few years ago and that helped out a lot, plus enough complaining to our Chief that he actually took it to a communications meeting that is held with the 911 Center Supervisor(s) and a few other big shots and things after a couple more complaints having the 911 supervisors eating crow that its pretty calm now.....

Yep. that is true.


Also they have been an officer safety risk more than once. Things like:

Sending two units to a bar fight, when they failed to answer their status checks for the THIRD TIME, they sent one more unit non-emergency.

Calling units after they have signed off, or telling an officer en route to an alarm at a commercial building they did not know he was responding

Told an officer State Police had someone with warrants, an wanted to speak to an officer, then didn't give anymore info until the officer coaxed it out of them.