My main Officer complaints...

[WadsonF]

We have a guy on our shift, he's a bit newer than I am, that does that ALL the time. He's so excited to get on the radio (he walks around almost in a state of cat like readiness at ALL times), that he'll cut the dispatcher off to get whatever he has to say, across the radio. Or, just talk directly to the unit he's trying to talk with, over the main channels. Both of which are big no no's, and for the most part do annoy the mortal hell out of me.

It's actually to the point that it's expected that if you get on the radio, to have dispatch tell that unit something, he's going to cut off the dispatcher before the dispatcher even says anything. There's a reason why we put things through dispatch first, to keep the channels clear, and keep the channel running smoothly so that it's not a mad house of 50 units trying to get things across on the main channel. It irritates the hell out of me personally when he does it.

I couldn't say I could relate, because I am not a LEO, Yet.

Well, West Melbourne, where I do all my ride along's , there is a guy that does that as well! He is talked about every time we get a call that requires a security check (2-3 units meet up to secure a building). But I digress.

It's just annoying, Im trying to study the radio and figure out how all the units react to each other, and how dispatch works, and we have this new guy that reports EVERYTHING. I'll give you a sample radio conversation, I'll mask thier badges with fake numbers of course :

"781 to dispatch."
"781, WHERE YOU AT??" - The monster
"781, go ahead."
"781, doing a traffic stop, I'm east Disney and University, there are 4 suspects in a red dodge charger"
"781, you need backup?! Im 10-8!" - The monster
"187, 10-3" (After being told to stop transmitting, here is what happens. I'll also use 187 as his badge)
"781, I need a 10-27 on <DL # Here>"
"I'll do it for you" - The monster
"187, 10-3, Back to the station, Now. You left some paper work." - The supervisor

I was told when the supervisor says you left paperwork, it means your going to get bitched at. He did not know that, but sure needs to get a piece of some ones mind. I was told he is on his 365-day probation period. He wont last, I dont know how his FTO could let him take over the radio, or if he has an FTO.

Thats my story.. It's probably not as bad as you guys story.

[kels]

Officers like this need a month in dispatch.

Worked well for someone I met.....well sorta.....
You would have thought he was the one making the car
stop when he gave the tag and dl info back to the officer.
It did calm him down a bit though.

[WadsonF]

Officers like this need a month in dispatch.

Worked well for someone I met.....well sorta.....
You would have thought he was the one making the car
stop when he gave the tag and dl info back to the officer.
It did calm him down a bit though.

Yea, he would do more life saving, than life threatening.

[DSG]

It wasn't meant as a compliment. Any dispatcher that "trys" to put me in place, will result in my supervisor calling the Comm Center Desk Sgt for a little "chat" about the dispatcher.

Sorry mate, I was looking at the first 4th point and realised my error - no I don't think I tell the car crews what to do - I believe we should work as a team.

Sorry bout the confusion - my bad

[james13f]

One more to add-

When they don't use their computer like they can. The ones that pay a bit of attention in the classes can make their own traffic stops, calls for service, clear themselves, type in additional info.

I mean it's a bit rediculous for you to type a warrant check for me to send in a talk-message. Ummm... you just typed it one place why not the other and do it yourself?

And I could care less about doing it. I like being busy up there, it makes time go by.

But most of the time I have more important things to pay attention to.

Why are you making me check warrants for you, when you are in your car and can do it yourself... when I have another Officer that's out on foot with 4 subjects that needs them checked, and now he has to wait on your's first.

Or a high-priority call that I'd like to be paying attention to because units just marked arrived, but I can't because you want me to look up a phone number (that again you have access to the same program).

[cntryboy0531]

One more to add-

When they don't use their computer like they can. The ones that pay a bit of attention in the classes can make their own traffic stops, calls for service, clear themselves, type in additional info.

I mean it's a bit rediculous for you to type a warrant check for me to send in a talk-message. Ummm... you just typed it one place why not the other and do it yourself?

And I could care less about doing it. I like being busy up there, it makes time go by.

But most of the time I have more important things to pay attention to.

Why are you making me check warrants for you, when you are in your car and can do it yourself... when I have another Officer that's out on foot with 4 subjects that needs them checked, and now he has to wait on your's first.

Or a high-priority call that I'd like to be paying attention to because units just marked arrived, but I can't because you want me to look up a phone number (that again you have access to the same program).

I only ask for phone numbers when I'm out of the car, and not able to do it myself, as do most of our shift.

As for making my own calls for service, marking out on traffic stops myself on the computer, etc.. There are ample safety reasons why even if we could do that (our current computer system doesn't allow us to do that), that it's better for dispatch to do it.

Calling a traffic stop out on the radio immediately lets other units know where I'm at, the vehicle, the tag, and how many occupants.. If I done that via computer, and my coworkers weren't watching their computer, they won't know that I'm out on it. So, if I go screaming for help, they aren't going to know where to haul *** to, until they look on their computer which will cost valuable time. So, even if I did have a computer that done that, I wouldn't mark myself out on a traffic stop.... ever...

As for warrant checks, the only way we can confirm a warrant is by radio message to our C.I.C. channel, which is a different channel than our main dispatch channels. I'm actually surprised that more agency's don't have a seperate channel that is dedicated soley to just running DL checks/Person checks/and getting Misc information.

[james13f]

As for warrant checks, the only way we can confirm a warrant is by radio message to our C.I.C. channel, which is a different channel than our main dispatch channels. I'm actually surprised that more agency's don't have a seperate channel that is dedicated soley to just running DL checks/Person checks/and getting Misc information.

Yeah I wonder why more agencies don't have a dedicated warrant check/OL check channel.

As for the traffic stop/numbers thing I understand completely. I don't mind Officers doing that, I understand letting everyone know. In fact if they send a talk message or call the landline with offduty I ask that they repeat it on air so everyone knows where to go if the screaming starts. I just meant it as an example of how much Officers can do in the car.

[StationM]

I was gonna say....my pet peeve is when they don't put out their stops!

I know there are times when they may not want to broadcast info, I tend to listen in on TAC when I can and create something to put them on.

[SERENAs UNIT]

We have an officer in the area who deep-throats the mic. I swear he sounds like he's going to fall over of a heart attack!

And, I can't stand when...
1. Officers give ENTIRE report over the radio. Save the WHOLE report for your report. CALL dispatch or go by or something. WASTE of airtime.

2. And, we have a disp. who refers to 'wife-beaters', for instance, as "gentlemen"... EXCUSE ME??
Yeah, she says: Be en route to 84837 Hokie Pokie Drive for a disturbance in progress. The gentleman there is beating up his kids and wife... Wearing...". How about "male"?

3. Dispatchers who've been on the job for 4 months and can't tell north calls from south calls --- WHEN in doubt, before sticking your foot in your mouth on the radio & confusing the crap out of the street deputies, LOOK AT THE MAP - it's hanging 12" from your face.

4. Supervsiors who don't know how to call people. "433 to 499, public service me on my cell." Must be sad to be paid all that money & don't know how to dial a phone. (This is a VERY common complaint with everyone in the area).

5. ANYBODY who gets on the radio just to hear themselves talk. These are usually the "heroes" in the agencies. I picture one we have around here busting down a door sometime with a big "S" on his chest.

6. PEOPLE WHO YELL on the radio who are NOT in an elevated situation. You sound like an idiot.

7. Officers who spell COMMON names! That's a TOTAL waste of could-be precious air time. It's SMITH -- not ".......spelled Sam Mary Ida Tom Henry"....."first name Jane, spelled John Adam Nora Edward..." What th????

PS: I've worked dispatch AND patrol.

[LadyHollman]

We have an officer in the area who deep-throats the mic. I swear he sounds like he's going to fall over of a heart attack!

And, I can't stand when...
1. Officers give ENTIRE report over the radio. Save the WHOLE report for your report. CALL dispatch or go by or something. WASTE of airtime.

2. And, we have a disp. who refers to 'wife-beaters', for instance, as "gentlemen"... EXCUSE ME??
Yeah, she says: Be en route to 84837 Hokie Pokie Drive for a disturbance in progress. The gentleman there is beating up his kids and wife... Wearing...". How about "male"?

3. Dispatchers who've been on the job for 4 months and can't tell north calls from south calls --- WHEN in doubt, before sticking your foot in your mouth on the radio & confusing the crap out of the street deputies, LOOK AT THE MAP - it's hanging 12" from your face.

4. Supervsiors who don't know how to call people. "433 to 499, public service me on my cell." Must be sad to be paid all that money & don't know how to dial a phone. (This is a VERY common complaint with everyone in the area).

5. ANYBODY who gets on the radio just to hear themselves talk. These are usually the "heroes" in the agencies. I picture one we have around here busting down a door sometime with a big "S" on his chest.

6. PEOPLE WHO YELL on the radio who are NOT in an elevated situation. You sound like an idiot.

7. Officers who spell COMMON names! That's a TOTAL waste of could-be precious air time. It's SMITH -- not ".......spelled Sam Mary Ida Tom Henry"....."first name Jane, spelled John Adam Nora Edward..." What th????

PS: I've worked dispatch AND patrol.

1. Ha ha , Yeah the person who likes to give 'the rest of the story'. On scene historians, usually told to shut up and code the call.

4. We tell people who do that its either not 7pm or we have run out of minutes. I had a Major who would do that, he got the I'm out of minutes comment over the air. He stopped doing that stupid mess.

5. Some ignorant police using a borrowed radio generally tells such persons to shut up. An even more ignorant supervisor would generally tell such an air sucker to take the conversation to a place someone cared to hear it.

6. We used to ask if someone was killing them first....need assistance, etc. If they answered no we'd simply state to get the hell off our air, you 'goof'.

[PVPD124]

My main officer complaint... and it's just 2 officers...

Turn off your handheld before you transmit on your car radio.:eek:

That squeal is like nails on a chalk board.

[cntryboy0531]

My main officer complaint... and it's just 2 officers...

Turn off your handheld before you transmit on your car radio.:eek:

That squeal is like nails on a chalk board.

In the past few months, we've gotten in car radio's. Before hand, all we had was our handhelds. It's been a biatch adjusting to turning down your handheld.

[StationM]

My main officer complaint... and it's just 2 officers...

Turn off your handheld before you transmit on your car radio.:eek:

That squeal is like nails on a chalk board.

We dont't get a squeal...we get an infinity echo...interesting.

[PVPD124]

We dont't get a squeal...we get an infinity echo...interesting.

The echo I can handle from my old CB radio days and the echo boxes.

Nails on a chalkboard... NO WAY!

[Aussie George]

In my last department, at least in the country, we rotated through the office position. It worked well because it meant that the operator was a cop who should know what the officer on the road wanted. For instance if cops were going to a job and I was in the office, I would think about what they would need to know and broadcast it. Then think about what they would like to know, and get it ready to broadcast when they either asked for it, or it was an appropriate moment to broadcast it - no emergency in progress.

Biggest pet hate, is when people don't listen to their radio!! And not just the bits that relate to just you. Keep an ear on everything that goes on. If you hear a patrol in your nearby zone call off at a traffic stop listen to where it is. It might be quite close. Keep a mental note of it because if they all of a sudden start calling for back-up, you don't have to waste valuable air time asking for directions on where they are. And if someone else does ask where they are, then listen so the operator doesn't have to repeat ten times for the ten different patrols who weren't listening at any time.

Really ticks me off when people don't listen or at least prick their ears up at calls to patrols in their zone, especially when they are sitting in the typing room. "I am doing paperwork" does not equate to a "Do not disturb sign"!

I was recently in another station, in another zone at 0200 hrs. There was not much happening. When I heard the call that a male (not far from this station) had just stabbed someone and patrols were chasing the offender, I looked around to see that no-one in that particular station had even heard it. There was five other coppers, including two that were sitting near a desk radio and working in the office. None of them were listening.