I always had my concerns about dispatchers but..............

[spenac]

[web:b6f9ad73cb]http://www.emsresponder.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=6840[/web:b6f9ad73cb]

Texas 911 Operators Could Have a Criminal Histories

Jan. 13--The 12-year-old was out of control, fighting and wrecking the house. Worried that someone would be injured, her mom called 911. The Watauga operator's response, in an incident three years ago, drew criticism nationwide. "OK," the operator told the mother, "do you want us to come over to shoot her?"

In North Richland Hills last year, a 911 operator answered a call from a man who announced, "I just shot my wife in the stomach with a .38."

As police and medics raced to his home, operator Laura Hines kept the man on the line with quick questions: Is she still there? Where is the gun? Is there anyone else in the house?

She also asked, "Why did you do this?" His taped answer, authorities later said, was an ironclad admission of guilt. For her cool professionalism, Hines was recognized as a Texas Telecommunicator of the Year.

As the first line of response in many public safety emergencies, 911 operators are expected to exercise good judgment in tough situations. Even a split-second lapse can lead to severe consequences.

That's why the public expects that law enforcement agencies carefully select and train operators and that they be people who have shown good judgment and personal character.

An obscure note in a little-noticed state report recently called that into question.

A spot check by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education found that about two dozen police, fire and sheriff's departments across Texas may employ 911 operators convicted of Class B misdemeanors -- including crimes such as theft and driving while intoxicated -- or higher offenses.

These 911 operators "have significant criminal histories that either go undiscovered or are left up to the local background investigation," states the report by TCLEOSE, which maintains law enforcement standards.

The state doesn't require criminal background checks for 911 operators and doesn't license them. Rather, the state accredits operators who attend 40 hours of training. Some public safety agencies may confuse certification with licensure and not realize that the state hasn't done criminal background checks, the report states.

It also notes that departments with fewer than 20 employees are exempt from certification requirements.

The report was delivered to the Texas Legislature's Sunset Commission, and the brief notation was included as part of suggestions about how state lawmakers can beef up law enforcement standards, TCLEOSE Executive Director Timothy A. Braaten told me.

"We think it's time to look and see if they should do more," Braaten said. "If not more, then make sure that the people who are the rulemakers in the Legislature understand that there is no background check required."

State law requires background checks for police officers and jailers before they are licensed. But Willis Carter, president of the Associated Public-Safety Communications Officers, a national group representing 911 operators, told me that criminal background checks should also be a requirement for his profession.

"It weeds out potential bad apples," he said. "It's critically important that their integrity is as high as anyone else's."

A law professor who studies preventive policing -- a way to stop problems before they happen -- agrees.

David A. Harris of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law said 911 operators should "meet similar standards of trust, good conduct and honesty that we expect from law enforcement officers. If there's any doubt about that, the public safety may suffer. And it's too important a job to take a chance on that."

The professor said an operator shouldn't be automatically disqualified because of a conviction. "But in the very least, you should know what you're dealing with in every person you're hiring," Harris said. "Anybody that does a vital job in public safety, we need to know what their background is and what character flaws they may have."

The Star-Telegram filed an open-records request with TCLEOSE for the names of the police, fire and sheriff's departments that may employ 911 operators with criminal records. (The list is above.)

The Watchdog contacted two departments on the list -- Dallas and McKinney -- and learned that they do their own background checks of 911 operators.

Dallas 911 operators are also rechecked every three years, said Kenneth Moore, the city's 911 administrative manager.

"We hold our employees to a higher standard than most cities," he said. "We meet the same requirements that police officers do."

McKinney police spokesman Randy Roland said that city's 911 operators are screened, too. "We do a background investigation on all of our employees, not just police officers."

A criminal record does not necessarily disqualify someone, though, he said. "It just depends on what the disqualifiers are for each job, I would say, as to whether or not they get hired."

Changing the requirements for 911 operators could be expensive.

Much of TCLEOSE's $3 million budget goes toward licensing and training Texas' 82,000 peace officers and jailers. Each year, about 550 lose their licenses, many because of convictions.

"It's not a cheap endeavor," Braaten said.

"It's a major decision if you want to put another mandate on a local agency. It's a legislative decision as to whether they want to increase the mandates on local governments."

But Harris, the law professor, says that the requirement would improve public safety: "To get ahead of the curve, you want to prevent problems before they get worse."

Agencies

In random checks of the state's criminal history database, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education identified some public safety agencies that may employ 911 operators convicted of Class B misdemeanors or higher offenses as of June 2006.

The search was done using telecommunicators' names and birth dates. State officials say the list is 90 percent to 95 percent accurate, meaning that some departments listed may not employ 911 operators with convictions. State officials did not check the criminal histories of employees at every agency.

[canadian_ghost]

"Do you want us to come out there and shoot her?" :shock: Lol! I've heard that one on the internet before. I'm not to sure what I would do if something like that happened to me

[JPINFV]

Hey, look, it's not the police's job to control your little crotch fruit in your own home. Maybe next time she won't suck at that entire parenting thing.

[canadian_ghost]

Can I get an Amen?

[emtannie]

Quote: "OK," the operator told the mother, "do you want us to come over to shoot her?"

Although not the most politically correct, nor professional, the dispatcher was just saying what most of us were thinking.... it is sad when people have to call 911 because they can't handle their own 12 year old (I see a blog entry from Lone arising from this thread....)

Quote: The state doesn't require criminal background checks for 911 operators and doesn't license them. Rather, the state accredits operators who attend 40 hours of training. Some public safety agencies may confuse certification with licensure and not realize that the state hasn't done criminal background checks, the report states."

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

The department I dispatched for required reference checks, background checks, security checks, even fingerprinting and a polygraph test..... possibly a little anal, but at least they were screening....

[canadian_ghost]

Although not the most politically correct, nor professional, the dispatcher was just saying what most of us were thinking.... it is sad when people have to call 911 because they can't handle their own 12 year old

So true. Calling 9-11 for something that is clearly not an emergency is just silly. If you can't handle your 12 year old daughter well that's your problem. Not ours...

I honestly couldn't help but laugh when I heard dispatch say that.

[Dustdevil]

There are two separate issues at hand here. First is that there are dispatchers with misdemeaour records. For this, I am not really concerned. That's a case by case thing. Getting free cable is a misdemeanour. Big deal. Non story.

The second issue is that some agencies never even check criminal records to begin with. This does concern me. Where the hell is that? I've never seen a public safety dispatching or 911 call-take facility that didn't run a CCH on applicants, if not annual rechecks too. That does concern me.

[brentoli]

I was under the impression if you had a criminal history, you weren't allowed access to NCIC files, therefore couldn't become a dispatcher, at least a police dispatcher.

[spenac]

I was under the impression if you had a criminal history, you weren't allowed access to NCIC files, therefore couldn't become a dispatcher, at least a police dispatcher.

So what have been convicted of? :shock:

[Dustdevil]

I was under the impression if you had a criminal history, you weren't allowed access to NCIC files, therefore couldn't become a dispatcher, at least a police dispatcher.

Not true. There are plenty of cops with criminal histories, and they are allowed access.