iii-02-DispatchAuthority

Revisions or additions are highlighted 1 (06/23/2025 ) ST. PETERSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER Subject: DISPATCH AUTHORITY Index as: Communications Procedures Dispatch of Police Vehicles Emergency Calls Event Priorities Routine Calls Accreditation Standards: 6.3.1, 81.2.2, 81.2.3, 81.2.4 and CFA 25.09 Cross Reference: G.O. II -17, Computers, Software and Acceptable Use of Departmen tal Information Systems I.O. V.5:05, Communications Procedures - MDT, Radio, and Cellular Telephone Replaces : G.O. III -02, Dispatch Authority ( August 28, 2017 ) The O rder consists of the following sections: I. Dispatch Authority II. Event Priorities III. Dispatch of Priority 1 and 2 Events IV. Dispatch of Priority 3 and 4 Events V. Self-dispatch, Accepting an Event VI. Officer -Initiated Events VII. Out of Service I. DISPATCH AUTHORITY A. The voice or electronic dispatch of all mobile units will originate in the Emergency Communications Center , with the exception of special units under the control of a remote base station, as authorized by the Chief of Police. B. All assignments voice or electronic, directed by the Emergency Communications Center are, in effect, orders from the Chief of Police which require prompt compliance by the a ssigned unit. C. Emergency Communications Division (ECD) personnel may direct employees to perform official police tasks anywhere within the City limits without regard to geographic assignment, division, or functional assignment of the employee. D. The dispatcher is responsible for assigning a back -up unit or units based on established protocols. They may query the assigned unit regarding necessity of a back -up, cancel unnecessary units or, if appropriate, delay response until a back -up is available. Disp atchers will defer to the officer’s judgment regarding the need for additional units. E. Units are considered available for routine assignment until fifteen (15) minutes prior to check -off time. Emergency assignments may be made at any time. F. Responsibility for a specific assignment may be changed by the ECD personnel or a patrol supervisor. Any employee may request a change under unusual circumstances. DATE OF ISSUE EFFECTIVE DATE NUMBER August 2017 Immediately III-02 Distribution: All Employees General Order III -02 Revisions or additions are highlighted 2 (06/23/2025 ) II. EVENT PRIORITIES A. Calls for police services will be classified as high priority (an emergency) or routine in nature, based on protocols followed by the ECD personnel. B. Higher priority calls will be given priority over calls of a lesser priority. Calls for service are assigned one (1) of four (4) possible priorities: 1. Priority 1 : Forcible felonies, calls of a life-threatening nature where prompt apprehension is possible, or calls where serious injury has occurred or is threatened. 2. Priority 2 : Calls generally of a non -life-threatening nature involving crimes against persons, felony crimes against property where prompt apprehension of a suspect is possible, or where presence of the police can keep a situation from escalating. 3. Priority 3 : These incidents are routine, non -urgent calls for police service, where there is no immediate threat to the safe ty of persons or property, and where the call -screening process has determined they are not co nsidered to be priority 1 or 2. 4. Priority 4 : Requests for police service which, based on Emergency Communications Division protocols, are common or routine in nat ure, and, by determination of the ECD personnel, can be placed at the end of the queue of calls awaiting police response. III. DISPATCH OF PRIORITY 1 AND 2 EVENTS A. Dispatchers will voice dispatch P riority 1 and 2 events and initiate all computer -aided dispatch (CAD) system entries related to the initial response, relieving the officer of that responsibility. B. Voice dispatch of emergency calls may be preceded by an alert tone, depending upon the nature of the event. If an alert tone is used, patrol units will be told to "copy" and then given the nature and location of the incident in clear speech. C. When no alert tone is sounded, a specific unit will be told to "copy a priority" and then given the nature and location of the inc ident in clear speech. D. Back -up units will be assigned as ECD protocol and/or CAD defaults indicate, or as requested by patrol units. E. All units assigned to P riority 1 and 2 events will verbally acknowledge the dispatcher with their unit designator and location, and will verbally advise their arrival at the scene or other assigned location. IV. DISPATCH OF PRIORITY 3 AND 4 EVENTS A. All aspects of P riority 3 and 4 events will be handled electronically via the Mobile Public Safety ( MPS ) system. 1. The dispatcher will use silent dispatch to ship the event to the assigned unit(s) and the officer(s) will acknowledge electronically. 2. The assigned officer(s) is/are responsible for all necessary electronic event updates; e.g., on-scene, entry of remarks, editing event information, issuance of a case number, clearing the event with a disposition code, and returning to available status, etc. B. In the event the MPS