Police Dispatcher I

Concord, CA
Concord Police Department

Salary: $71,448.00 – $91,187.20 Annually.

Position Summary:

Dispatchers are an integral part of the Police Department by acting as a critical link between the community and police units in the field. They help maintain the safety of our community by taking command of situations in a sensitive and straightforward manner while also showing consideration and respect to others. They receive emergency and non-emergency calls and act as the liaison between the community, other agencies, department personnel, and field units.

Essential Functions:

  • Under close observation, receives, interprets, classifies, prioritizes and responds to call of a routine and emergency nature, including those calls involving life-threatening situations. Enters relevant information by computer keyboard and, as appropriate, transmits message for dispatching.
  • Under close observation assigns calls to police units for necessary action, determining how many and which units are required for response. May coordinate with patrol supervisors regarding deployment of personnel. Visually monitors video display terminals and aurally monitors police radio frequencies to ensure correct status of officers and pending and dispatched calls, making “on-line changes” via keyboard as appropriate. Calls out Public Works standby personnel, performs call outs for various local government entities, and monitors local government radio for their status.
  • Determines appropriate communications or research channels selecting from emergency telephone lines, radio room telephone lines, business telephone lines, police radio channels, other agency radio channels, and manual computerized information systems.
  • Under close observation, provides information to officers expeditiously, in areas such as warrants, vehicles, driver’s licenses, parole, and criminal history information. Interprets or clarifies coded responses from various systems for police officers or other parties. Confirms warrants with responsible agencies, receives warrants and updates status of warrants.
  • As acquired skills develop, accesses and updates information in a variety of on-line Law Enforcement data systems, including systems which contain confidential data.
  • Develops, confirms, and relays information by contacting persons such as those in the internal chain of command; relatives of those involved in incidents; employers; hospitals; sworn and non-sworn public safety personnel at other agencies; other City departments; ambulance services; detoxification centers; tow companies; attorneys; state parole; animal control; commercial establishments; alarm companies; and schools.
  • Monitors other public safety and emergency preparedness radio traffic; fire panel and security system boards; local government radio channels; and jail and complaint desk alarms, and takes appropriate actions.
  • Maintains various logs and records of activities, such as radio transmissions, telephone calls received, call-outs and tow requests, equipment failure log, and personal time keeping and attendance.
  • Follows defined alternative procedures in the event of computer or other equipment malfunction such as performing shut down and start up procedures. Performs various tasks to ensure proper operation of equipment such as setting and resetting computer system, video display terminals, mobile data terminals and printers; and changing print ribbons, paper, and recording tapes.
  • Performs activities related to the operation of a county-wide law enforcement radio system (CLERS) such as monitoring radio channel and issuing all points bulletins following county protocol and procedures.
  • Promotes the City’s Mission to make Concord a city of the highest quality by providing responsive, cost-effective, and innovative government services; understands and subscribes to the Vision and Values Statement adopted by the City.
  • Performs other work as assigned.

Requirements:

  • Satisfactory completion of high school or the equivalent.
  • Two years of related work experience that has provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the duties of a law enforcement dispatcher in a computer-assisted environment.
  • Ability to operate an alpha-numeric keyboard with sufficient speed and accuracy to provide efficient input into a computer terminal, measured by the ability to type at a rate of 35 words per minute (net) is required.
  • Must have normal (or correctable to normal) hearing and eyesight and a clear and audible voice for radio and telephone communications.
  • Must successfully pass the dispatcher testing administered by the City in accordance with POST Standard Section 1018(c).
  • Must successfully complete a background investigation as a condition of employment.
  • A California Driver’s License and a satisfactory driving record are conditions of initial and continued employment.