Not Sworn Not Born

How many dispatchers are treated with respect by sworn officers?
How many dispatchers are included in meetings, roll calls and other police events?

It seems many departments are now including dispatchers and other civilian employees in police events.
But how many of you are still stuck in that not sworn not born mentality?

Worked for a small police department in Florida back in the 1980's that had 20 employees. 15 of the employees were sworn police officers. The other 5 were 1 records clerk and 4 dispatchers. During Christmas the 15 police officers would do secret santa gift exchanges with one another and go to parties never including the 5 civilian employees. They wouldn't even give us a Christmas card.

our department has existed for over 30 years and just recently about 5 months ago they finally decided it was time to "swear in" the dispatchers

our department has existed for over 30 years and just recently about 5 months ago they finally decided it was time to "swear in" the dispatchers

makes sense to me. our communications operators have access to same sensitive info that the deputies do. they deal with the public on a daily, just like patrol. theyre held to a "code of ethics", such as sworn employees. they're pushing themselves to the max, sometimes every HARDER that folks in other operation bureaus. hell, they even have badges. detention deputies dont carry guns or wear vests. but they're sworn. so why not make dispatchers/comm operators "sworn" too?

our department has existed for over 30 years and just recently about 5 months ago they finally decided it was time to "swear in" the dispatchers

makes sense to me. our communications operators have access to same sensitive info that the deputies do. they deal with the public on a daily, just like patrol. theyre held to a "code of ethics", such as sworn employees. they're pushing themselves to the max, sometimes every HARDER that folks in other operation bureaus. hell, they even have badges. detention deputies dont carry guns or wear vests. but they're sworn. so why not make dispatchers/comm operators "sworn" too?

Our department has hired 5 former corrections officers who quit simply to get a $10,000 a year pay raise. As privatization is occurring in the state corrections system and budget cuts are occurring within the state, these 5 officers had enough. They said that besides getting $10,000 more annually they can work in a safe environment that they won't get stabbed or beat up
for a miserable $31,000 a year. And they haven't had a pay raise in 5 years.

Dispatchers work the same hours as cops do. The communications center has to be manned 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year. These men and women work countless hours behind a desk taking complaints from people calling 9-1-1 getting verbally abused by idiots calling in crap. When on the radio in an emergency situation their stress levels go up just like the
officers on the road. "It's the same adrenaline rush cops get when in the field" said an officer that helps out in our center working the radio.

Dispatchers are placed on alert in cases of emergencies and natural disasters. The last hurricane that hit Florida dispatchers had to leave their homes and families to go work 12 hour shifts (Alpha Bravo) just like the cops. If there are riots citizens are told to stay home and don't go to work. Dispatchers have to go to work (Alpha Bravo) just like cops.

If there is personnel shortage and it's almost the end of your shift, dispatchers are told to hold over working 12 to 16 hour days just like cops.

I don't know why dispatchers get high risk pay and retire under the high risk system. The stress level dispatchers get has caused health problems and even death to dispatchers. The turnover rate in dispatch is high. The average career for a dispatcher is about 5 to 10 years. After that we lose a lot of people because they had enough. For those lucky enough to make it through retirement retire with health problems such as carpal tunnel because of the typing and heart problems because of the stress level.

And to end this, dispatchers are unacknowledged and overlooked by public and command staff. The public praises the police officer who responded to the robbery and apprehended the robber. The dispatcher who assisted him in doing the perimeter, sending K-9 units, putting out the BOLO and description of the subject, staying on the phone with the complainant getting pertinent information like direction of travel clothing description etc... is not even mentioned.

Dispatchers work the same hours as cops do. The communications center has to be manned 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year. These men and women work countless hours behind a desk taking complaints from people calling 9-1-1 getting verbally abused by idiots calling in crap. When on the radio in an emergency situation their stress levels go up just like the
officers on the road. "It's the same adrenaline rush cops get when in the field" said an officer that helps out in our center working the radio.

Dispatchers are placed on alert in cases of emergencies and natural disasters. The last hurricane that hit Florida dispatchers had to leave their homes and families to go work 12 hour shifts (Alpha Bravo) just like the cops. If there are riots citizens are told to stay home and don't go to work. Dispatchers have to go to work (Alpha Bravo) just like cops.

If there is personnel shortage and it's almost the end of your shift, dispatchers are told to hold over working 12 to 16 hour days just like cops.

I don't know why dispatchers get high risk pay and retire under the high risk system. The stress level dispatchers get has caused health problems and even death to dispatchers. The turnover rate in dispatch is high. The average career for a dispatcher is about 5 to 10 years. After that we lose a lot of people because they had enough. For those lucky enough to make it through retirement retire with health problems such as carpal tunnel because of the typing and heart problems because of the stress level.

And to end this, dispatchers are unacknowledged and overlooked by public and command staff. The public praises the police officer who responded to the robbery and apprehended the robber. The dispatcher who assisted him in doing the perimeter, sending K-9 units, putting out the BOLO and description of the subject, staying on the phone with the complainant getting pertinent information like direction of travel clothing description etc... is not even mentioned.

Come on. You cant be serious

Okay guys, lets get real. If you wanna be a cop, go to thhe academy.

We've had trainees flunk out of the training program in our agency as a dispatcher because they could just not handle it but then they went to the academy and they now carry a gun. Things that make you say hmmmmmmm

We've had trainees flunk out of the training program in our agency as a dispatcher because they could just not handle it but then they went to the academy and they now carry a gun. Things that make you say hmmmmmmm

Yup. I know of a sergeant who SUCKED and couldnt cut the mustard as a dispatcher.....was gone within a year..wow