Policy Text
COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION POLICY & PROCEDURES D-3 REV.
OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT 14 Feb 08
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Index as: Blind Dispatching
Blinking Status of Field Units Code 33 Utilization Cross Dispatching Dispatching Procedures Patrol Wagon Dispatching Missed Call Procedures Meal Breaks for Field Units
DISPATCHING PROCEDURES
The purpose of this directive is to set forth Communication Division policy and procedures for Communications Division personnel functioning as Dispatchers to include the Division’s role in supporting the Bureau of Field Operations geographic policing plan.
I. DISPATCHER RELIEF PROCEDURES
A. Upon being relieved of duty as a Dispatcher, the person being relieved shall:
1. Advise all units without emergency traffic to “stand-by.”
2. Announce their dispatcher number as relieved of duty and the dispatcher's
number assuming the channel.
Example :“All units stand-by. Dispatcher number 2 off, Dispatcher number
3 now operating.”
3. Log him/herself off of the Computer Assisted Dispatch (CAD) system.
B. The Dispatcher assuming operation of the channel shall:
1. Log on the CAD system.
2. Clear the channel by broadcasting the time, talk group; and
3. Announce the channel, or talk group clear.
Example : “8:50 AM, talk group Patrol One is clear.”
C. Relief in the Dispatch Unit shall normally be made in two (2)-hour increments.
Watch Supervisors shall schedule and monitor relief at the Watch level in order to minimize impact on the Complaint Unit.
COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION POLICY & PROCEDURES D-3 REV.
OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT 14 Feb 08
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II. REVIEW OF ASSIGNMENTS AND EXPEDIENT DISPATCHING
A. Dispatchers shall be responsible for continuously reviewing unassigned calls.
1. Assignment of these calls shall be based on the following criteria:
a. Priority code;
b. Radio code;
c. Details;
d. Availability of units in the assigned Patrol Area;
e. Availability of units in adj acent Patrol Areas; and
f. Length of time standing.
2. All assignments shall be dispatched as expediently as possible with the
objective being to dispatch the longest standing highest priority call to the closest appropriate unit in the same Patrol Area.
3. Units shall not be “Cross dispatched” (the assigning of a unit from one of
the three Police Service Areas to another) without authorization in accordance with the provisions of Part III, E, of this directive.
4. All 940 activities between a supervisor and a member/employee shall be
cause to create an incident in CAD by the dispatcher receiving the information; unless the 940 is occurring at the location of a pre-existing incident in which case their meeting will be s upplemented to the call. The
dispatcher generating the 940 incidents w ill as a minimum provide the
identifiers of the units involved and the meeting location. Additional information can be supplemented at the direction of the supervisor and the member/employee.
COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION POLICY & PROCEDURES D-3 REV.
OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT 14 Feb 08
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DISPATCH PROTOCOL
B. High Priority Calls
In general, high priority calls for service shall not be held for the beat officer or a cover unit, but dispatched immediately upon r eceipt, subject to the availab ility of
units in the call’s Patrol Area and the following protocol:
1. Priority 0 or 1 Calls
Dispatch any available unit in the Patrol AREA or CITY, giving priority to assigning a unit from the Patrol Area in which the call originates. When cross dispatching or a Priority 1 call is necessary, the dispatcher shall notify the Communications Division Watch Supervisor of the cross dispatching event and print the CAD incident to the Watch Supervisor’s office printer. The Watch Supervisor shall notify a commander or supervisor in each affected Area of the cross dispatching assignment.
2. Priority 2 Calls Involving Potential Hazard
Dispatch any unit in the Area. Obtain authorization from the command staffs of both affected Areas when cross dispatching is required prior to assigning the call.
3. Priority 2 Calls Involving Urgent 950
Dispatch any available unit in the Area. Obtain authorization from the command staffs of both affected Areas when cross dispatching is required prior to assigning the call.
4. Priority 3 and 4 Calls
Consult the above chart for dispatching.
Obtain authorization from the
command staffs of both affected Areas when cross dispatching is required prior to assigning the call.
5. Cover assignments
Consult the chart in Section III, B, for dispatching Cover units.
COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION POLICY & PROCEDURES D-3 REV.
OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT 14 Feb 08
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Non-Traffic Related calls for service
Communications Division personnel shall be guided by the assignment sequence set forth in the following table when dispatching units to calls for service.
Initial Response to
Service Assignment Initial Response to
Cover Assignment
Assigned Beat Officer Tactical Unit within Patrol Area
Supplemental Beat Officer Supplemental Beat Officer
Tactical Unit within Patrol Area Adjacent Beat Unit within
Patrol Area
Adjacent Beat Unit within Patrol Area Specialized field and staff units1
within Patrol Area
Specialized field and staff units1
within Patrol Area Patrol Wagon within Patrol Area
Patrol Wagon within Patrol Area Police Evidence Technician (Sworn)
within Patrol Area
Police Evidence Technician (Sworn)
within Patrol Area Specialized field and staff units from
adjacent Patrol Area2
Specialized field and staff units from