AgdaPkt 2012-09-24 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

6.1.A. - Page 18 protocol in which the problem is ascertained and advice to deal with it is given to the caller while help is on the way. Police response situations are by contrast often "dynamic" or in motion, requiring more two-way communication between dispatchers and police officers in the field and potentially more cooperation in the field. Much of the call volume is "police initiated"rather than citizen initiated, informing the dispatcher, for example, that the police officer is involved with a traffic violation. The Sheriff's geographical jurisdiction is countywide, and so is the coverage for its primary and secondary channels. A County-wide Mutual Aid Channel (called the Green Channel) is common to all police agencies in the County and all dispatch centers. It allows for communications coordination for incidents requiring mutual aid or communication between agencies where the scope of communication is larger than the one provided by agency primary channel, and supports the adage that"crime knows no boundaries." Car chases would be a common Green Channel use. The footprint for the Green Channel is San Francisco to south of Mountain View. The County also operates a Homeland Security funded service called"cop link" linking San Mateo and its cities to other counties in our geographical region. 8. Other Attempts Made To Consolidate Police Dispatch Services The City Managers in the County have been considering and promoting the sharing of police dispatch and other services for 12 years and under the pressure of shrinking revenues have been making incremental progress. However, in interviews the Grand Jury was told that there is continual reluctance from some City Councils to institute change, in part due to reluctance to give up local autonomy. Investigation To research this report, the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury surveyed the Cities and police departments of the County and interviewed: • Representatives from the County Communications Public Safety Center • A City Manager representing the Association of City Managers • Two Fire Chiefs • Three Police Chiefs and other police personnel • A Sheriff's Office representative. Findings The Grand Jury finds that: 1. In San Mateo County there are 15 different fire departments or districts, all of which use the Public Safety Communications Center for dispatch. The Redwood City Fire Station on Marshall Street is the back-up facility for fire dispatch. 2. There are 16 Police Departments in the County, including the San Mateo County Sheriff. 9