Lateral/Pre-Service Police Dispatcher

• FOR LATERAL POLICE DISPATCHER: Applicant must have completed a probationary period as a police dispatcher in a law enforcement agency.
• FOR PRE-SERVICE POLICE DISPATCHER: Applicant must have completed the California POST mandated dispatcher course upon hire.

• Receive emergency and non-emergency calls, complaints, and inquiries from the public. Evaluate and analyze information to determine jurisdiction, necessity, and response needed.
• Determine the nature and location of emergency and non-emergency calls for service, including 9-1-1 calls, and prioritize response.
• Dispatch emergency and non-emergency units as necessary and in accordance with established procedures. Use appropriate terminology and radio codes relaying to police personnel in the field via radio and mobile data computer terminals.
• Listen and comprehend radio transmissions from emergency personnel in the field; acknowledge, document, and comply with requests for action or information.
• Coordinate emergency calls and relay information and assistance requests involving other public safety agencies.
• Maintain contact with all units on assignment; maintain status and location of police field units, checking periodically to verify location, activity, and status, supplying back-up personnel and taking other appropriate steps to provide for the safety of field personnel.
• Organize and coordinate activities of field units.
• Place telephone calls to other safety agencies, City departments, City emergency crews, tow companies, ambulance services, coroner, telephone and utility companies, and others to relay information or request services, maintaining detailed record of the time and nature of each call.
• Operate CAD equipment, enhanced 9-1-1 telephone system equipment, multifrequency radio equipment, Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD), and other relative office equipment and systems.
• Perform a variety of record keeping, filing, indexing, and other general clerical work. * Monitor radio channels for service requests from other jurisdictions and emergency radio traffic that may affect the City's operations.
• Monitor security cameras and license plate readers to provide real-time information to field units.
• Attend patrol briefings as assigned.
• Testify in court as needed.
• Enter, update, and retrieve information on wanted persons, stolen property, vehicle registration, stolen property/vehicles, and other information from computer and teletype networks including but not limited to California Law Enforcement Teletype System (CLETS), Department of Justice (DOJ), National Law Enforcement Teletype System (NLETS)/National Crime Information Center (NCIC), etc.
• Learn departmental policies and procedures for service requests.
• Read maps, memorize streets and major hundred blocks and reasonably apply this knowledge to service requests, field unit beat assignments, and coordination of response.
• Learn police codes, practices, and methods.
• Work under pressure, exercise good judgment, and make sound decisions in emergency situations.
• Effectively and courteously deal with the public, including irate, upset, and difficult callers during hectic, tense, and dangerous situations.
• Work various shifts as assigned, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Interact with co-workers at all levels in the organization in a collaborative and customer service-oriented manner.
• Maintain prompt and regular attendance.
• Perform all duties with the context of the City/Department's Mission Statement and Organizational Values.
• May perform occasional matron duties as assigned.
• Provide on-the-job training and technical guidance to new employees in the Dispatch Unit.
• Perform any other tasks or functions deemed necessary to the daily operations of the employer.
• Other duties as assigned.
• This position is always evolving. Therefore, employer reserves the right to modify this job description as necessary.

• Modern office equipment including computers and applicable software.
• Modern office procedures, practices and equipment.
• Correct English usage, spelling, punctuation and grammar.
• Methods and techniques for record keeping.

• Standard operating procedures of police dispatching.
• Applicable Federal, State and local laws, codes and regulations.
• Police-related computer and teletype networks.
• Operational characteristics of standard office and dispatch equipment.
• Occupational hazards and standard safety practices.

Successful candidates will be required to pass a drug screening, fingerprint screening, physical examination and a background investigation.

Required Question