Merging Dispatch Command with Patrol Command

[PLPD Announcements]

PARALAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT
Merging Dispatch Command with Patrol Command​

Dear colleagues,

After reviewing the efficacy and performance of Dispatch as a division, we as a Senior Management Team have come to a decision regarding the future of Dispatch Command.

Moving forwards there will no longer be a standalone Dispatch Command. The roles and responsibilities of Dispatch Command will be merged with Patrol Command. This means that the Head of Patrol will also assume the role of Head of Dispatch, and the Lieutenants and Staff Sergeants will carry a joint responsibility for the performance of the Dispatch function.

To accommodate the increased workload the Patrol Command is in the process of being returned to its original size, consisting of 2 Lieutenants and 4 Staff Sergeants. As part of this merger, there will be some moves and promotions outside of the usual fair and open competition process to help ease the transition.

Why has this decision been taken?
We as a Senior Management Team have to be open and honest, in that many iterations of Dispatch Command under a standalone Commanding Officer have been dysfunctional and subsequently underperformed. This has led to Dispatch as a function becoming severely underutilised and not receiving the same care and attention when compared with other divisions such as Patrol, Road Traffic, and Tactical Firearms.

What are the benefits of this change?
We believe that by merging Dispatch Command responsibilities with that of Patrol Command, this will lead to greater oversight and scrutiny as well as opportunities for change and transformation. Patrol Command performance will also be measured against the performance of the Dispatch function and - as there will be more people sharing responsibility - there will likely be better engagement and idea generation. For example, there is already work on a Dispatcher of the Month Award as well as ideas for potential Dispatch-centric campaigns.

Why merge with Patrol Command?
After the most recent changes, Patrol is considered the primary division that every colleague is a part of. Dispatch is an essential function of good policing, with great Dispatchers being at the heart of leading fantastic operations and managing a smooth experience on the ground. By bringing the Dispatch function into Patrol Command, a culture of Dispatch being an essential component of good policing will be promoted and will make Dispatch more accessible.

What does this mean for Senior Dispatchers?
There will no longer be a standalone role for Senior Dispatcher. The role of Senior Dispatcher will be merged with that of Patrol Trainer, where they will assist with marking Dispatch applications (which will in the future become a certification). Existing Patrol Trainers will be expected to undertake upskilling to become involved in the Dispatch application process and likewise, Senior Dispatchers will be expected to perform responsibilities commensurate with the role of Patrol Trainer.

Does this mean that there will be less command members overall?
When taking into account that Patrol will be returning to its original size then yes, this does remove at least 2 command positions in practice. However, we feel that this will give Patrol Command a greater variety of work to undertake and be involved in, and they will have a shared pride in having ownership of both Patrol functions and Dispatch functions.

How will this change work in practice?
Stage 1: all Dispatch resources will be moved over to Patrol or the Officer Handbook and the relevant command members such as the Head of Patrol will receive temporary Dispatch roles on plpd.online. Senior Dispatchers will be expected to report into the Patrol Command structure moving forwards, with the relevant changes made also to the Departmental Discord. Existing Patrol Trainers will temporarily be given the role of Senior Dispatcher, and vice versa. This will all be done in preparation for both plpd.online and in-game code changes that will remove Dispatch as a standalone division.

Stage 2: The necessary user management/permissions changes will be made to enable the removal of the standalone Dispatch roles on plpd.online. For example, Senior Dispatcher permissions will be merged with that of Patrol Trainer and the Head of Dispatch permissions will be merged with that of Head of Patrol.

Stage 3: Dispatch will be removed as a standalone division from plpd.online and the Useful Contacts page will be reworked to illustrate this change. Dispatch will be changed to align with the upcoming Tactical Firearms Unit changes whereby being or becoming a Dispatcher will be treated as a certification, that will be administered by Patrol Command - similar to the Taser Certification, and using the same upcoming system for Tactical Firearms Unit Certification. Changes will also be made to give Patrol Command the relevant Dispatch roles in-game, tied to their existing ranks and permissions.

We truly believe that this change will have a lasting and positive impact on the future of Dispatch, however we are also cognisant that there will be many impassioned Dispatchers who may have questions, comments or concerns. We encourage you to make a Helpdesk Ticket to Human Resources who will provide you with the relevant signposting.

We look forward to seeing the emerging success of Dispatch as a part of Patrol, and the amazing opportunities that will be derived from having larger command oversight.

Kind regards,

Chief of Department Steven Ficklestein #6666
Deputy Chief of Department Carlo Montanari #8938
Deputy Chief of Department Schneider Ficklestein #8888
Deputy Chief of Department Acer Joseph #1111
Major Damon Creed #5710
Major Wolfgang Eisenhammer #1000