Police Dispatch Research Papers

In the world of policing, it seems, here are certainly more glamorous jobs than dispatch. Most, if not all, Justice students are intending on a career in patrol, or drug enforcement, maybe they want to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On a lower level, when one thinks of policing, their mind may drift to fast paced, high energy, law enforcement dramas dispatch would on the surface seem to be the antithesis of this. A bunch of people, sitting in a room answering calls all day. That person would, however, be incredibly wrong. Without dispatch, law enforcement as we know it today would not exist.

Before the advent of communication technology, citizens victimized by criminalized were forced to either scream loudly, or ride their horses frantically to a Marshall’s office to report what had transpired. This was an obviously ineffective system, so constables began to carry a bell called a ratchet. They used this to single that they need backup, this was equally as ineffective as screaming. The first country to implement a system that bore a semblance to police dispatch as we know it today was America. In the 1800’s, large cities such as Denver, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, telegraph boxes were installed

at various points in the city.
These boxes allowed the officer to tap out signals for eleven assorted crimes that are like the numerical code used by dispatch today. With the rise of telecommunications, telegraphs were replaced with telephones, to the relief of the police officers calling for backup. Contrary to popular belief (at least among the Millennial generation) the use of 9-1-1 as the emergency number did not occur after the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York, the Pentagon, and almost Washington D.C., but in 1967 with a Presidential commission desiring an easy to remember number. Today, dispatcher don’t just send out police officers and emergency personnel. They instruct people how to perform CPR, gather evidence by capturing suspects emotional statements, track where a call is taking place, and calm victims in emergency situations. It took about 200 years, but dispatch has evolved monumentally from the days of screaming and frantic horse-riding.
Per the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the US Department of Labor, the job is expected to shrink by three percent, or about three thousand jobs. It’s a modest decline compared to archaic jobs like Locomotive firers and telephone operators which are declining by 70% and 50% respectively. In other words, the decline could be much worse Despite the field of dispatch slightly shrinking it is nonetheless still an important and rewarding job. Mahala Lewis, a dispatcher with the Kentucky State Police, was the coordinator in a pursuit in which a man robbed a bank and proceeded to be chased for over an hour as he flung money out of the windows of his car, so there is never a dull moment in this career.
Americans are arguably driven by money and the salary given to police dispatchers is a modest one, as it’s slightly below the national median.

Dispatchers make anywhere from $30,000 to $60,000 yearly with the median at about $40,000. A Police dispatcher has a good chance to advance if they possess special skills such as emergency or general management certification or if they have been with the department long enough to be considered for a promotion. Dispatchers can move to office managers, registered nurses, or they can even move from the dispatch room to the field as police officers. Many people do choose to use Dispatch as stepping stone in their careers, as it gets their foot in the door with police agencies, or at the very least the public service

sector.
Police dispatch is simply an arm of the department itself, so dispatchers face many of the same issues as officers themselves, with some added stressors. One such issue is understaffing. Per the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, vacancies at law enforcement agencies in California increased by 603% in the past 7 years. This issue is mirrored across America and is exacerbated by decreasing pensions and other employee benefits. Another issue facing law enforcement is that the divide between local and federal law enforcement is beginning to dissolve. Due to this, political pressure begins to affect the capabilities of police officers. For dispatchers, specifically, they face the issue of technology that is either too outdated to effectively manage their call flow, or some that is too complex to easily navigate without a degree in computing. Work stations meant to be simple turn into labyrinths of keyboards, mice, and microphones. Also, due to the declining number of dispatchers, the ones who are currently employed are facing overwhelming stress and are prone to burn out. Dispatchers are forced to overcome these numerous issues to effectively serve the community they are employed by.
If not for dispatch, police would be reduced to the days of constables carrying bells. Many people would be left to die as there would not be a dispatcher working tirelessly to tell them CPR techniques and how to behave in emergency situations. Officers patrolling would not immediately know where to respond to crimes at. In summary, Police dispatchers in America are an invaluable asset in our society today and should be acknowledged along side officers for the work that they do.