I'm really not trying to beat a dead horse here, but you can't make these things up if you tried.
The City of Hartford's Emergency Dispatch Center has had its share of problems as well as criticism here on this blog and elsewhere. The recording below seems to show that things still aren't changing. The attitude of the dispatcher in the recording seems to convey the attitude that has been mentioned in numerous comments here.
Anyone listening to the recording below would have to ask yourself if you as a police officer or firefighter would be comfortable entrusting you personal safety and potentially your life to the "professional" on the other end of the radio.
The Hartford Police Officer on the recording is trying to relay information to the dispatcher regarding an individual involved in a domestic incident. Statistically, Domestic incidents are the number one incidents that police officers are injured and killed during. Listen to the recording and see if you think the dispatcher is handling the incident properly and paying attention to what should be her number one priority...the officer's safety.
Something needs to be done to restore a professional attitude to everyone in that Department because what is going on in there now is not working. Will it take a serious incident before the Mayor or City Council realize it is time to change?
The comments in question are near the beginning of the recording but I left the whole track unedited with the digital time and date stamps
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36 comments:
Kevin,
This is disturbing but it gets even worse. You might want to FOI e-mails between Jaffee and Sgt. Cicero to see the real attitude for officer safety.
It is hard to believe that Jaffe was ever a cop before he began double dipping, but then again was Jaffee ever really a cop?
This is a sad situation. This dispatcher should be terminated immediately. I can't believe this lack of professionalism on the part of dispatch is tolerated.
They can do better than this!
This is ridiculous. I'm tired of reading about people bashing dispatchers in Hartford. First off if you've never sat in this chair before don't comment. You don't know what its like. You don't know what its like to answer that phone an on the other end there's a hysterical female crying for help because her child's father is beating her. You dont know what it's like to be dispatching on a calm cool night and suddenly an officer screams for help over the radio. To make it worse, he's not signed on therefore you don't know where he is. My point is don't judge if you've never sat in this chair. Point blank period. As far as this particular situation, this dispatcher doesn't have to monitor the channel that that officer was talking over. We are only obligated to monitor patrol 1 or patrol 2. That officer was not on either patrol 1 or patrol 2. Bottom line that officer was trying to get out of that call. And the dispatcher in this recording is a damn good dispatcher that has officer safety on her mind at all times! Also Officers forget that their badges say HPD on it not unit 12. He was trying to shy away from the call and that in itself is frustrating. Stop bashing the dispatchers. Correct yourself and your flaws before judging.
Anonymous at 8:27PM,
your response points to the major problem that is occurring in the Diapatch Center. The "us against them" mentality is a major problem that is festering based upon a total lack of leadership and accountability.
The dispatcher on the recording may be an exceptional dispatcher 90% of the time, but that 10% of the remaining time while employees are busy engaging in violating protective orders, running their boyfriends on NCIC or even eating popcorn are the times that they are letting the people of Hartford down and even more importantly endangering the lives of police officers. The officer was not trying to dodge a call, he was questioning whether he should follow through on the call or did the dispatcher want to send a "north" car, since car 12 is a downtown car and a "south" car. It is called area integrity and it is up to dispatchers to decide who goes where based on coverage, and you know that.
If you are supporting the actions of someone who would make a comment like the one on the recording, that is troubling to me. Knowing that the dispatch center is under scrutiny now makes me wonder why someone, who knows that every conversation in there is recorded, would make a comment like that, even if it was jokingly.
The fact that your comment "this dispatcher doesn't have to monitor the channel that that officer was talking over" may be true. Then establish a policy not to use it, it is that simple, but the place can't be a free for all with no clear policies. And you know as well as I do that the "car to car south" channel is used regularly for conversations that would tie up the primary channels. Are you telling me you would ignore the "hotline" also because it is not your job when you are sitting at the South console?
And ignoring problems is not the way to correct deficiencies. People are being paid very good money to make sure the place runs smoothly and that is clearly not happening. It also goes back to the numerous comments posted previously, why is food even allowed in an area loaded with sensitive electronics, keep it in the lunchroom and take breaks away from the high strees calls you mentioned
Yeah the officer is clearly at fault in this audio recording by requesting a north car take care of a north call. That must have been so frustrating. Next time a SGT says "that's a north call, give it to north" why don't you step up and say, "your patch says HPD."
You're clearly someone who doesn't understand why cars are assigned areas. Let me guess you're one of those dispatchers who sends cars all over the city in an effort to clear your screen as quickly as possible.
Dispatchers are only obligated to monitor Patrol 1 and 2? I guess if our radios get moved to a different channel during an altercation with a violent suspect we need to switch it back to Patrol 1 or 2 before yelling for help. Jaffee needs to send out a memo on this.
Your post is pathetic and only enforces why we need to clean out dispatch.
the last commentor, not kevin, needs to shut her mouth. Im glad ther is evidence that the public, the mayor, and channel 3 news at five can hear that the dispatcher center is messed up.
Any defense to this is laughable and like using a hand pump on that over turned cruise ship.
This is the most embarassing thing that i have heard. This clearly shows....
1. Lack of Supervision (Jaffee)
2. No officer safety,( but why would a dispatcher care anyways)
3. A complete breakdown of the system ( once again, Jaffee)
Kevin, This is a joke right, If this was on Dateline, The feds would take over that place. WTF
I guess the comments about the dispatchers eating at thier work stations is true. Was it buttered? Movie style?
Just imagine if the HPD Dispatchers were dispatching on a US aircraft carrier. There would be fighter planes in the $%&((#()$$% !!!!!! Ocean.
What a joke, Now you see MR. Mayor, clean it up. Trump Style!!!
I think its a tie between Jaffee and my five year ol, for who could run the dispatch center. At least my five year old has good table habbits.
The days of kniting, eating, and doing your lee press on nails are going to be over soon Dispatchers!!! SOON......Flip flops and sweatshirts are still ok. thought
wow, kinda speechless, honestly ,
but nothing will happen, just like thst time card cover up...Time heals all wounds in the City of Hartford. ........just spend more of Kevins tax dollars....
p.s. where is that loan money from the hartford 21 supermarket? 300,000 dollars.....
These issues raised here are management issues. The issues should be handled by the management of both departments and if they are unwilling to resolve theses situations buy holding people accountable, The Management should be replaced with people who actually care about Public Safety instead of people who only care about their pensions and have the " whats in it for them mentality"
Come on People this isn't rocket science!
Do your jobs or go do something else.
The people deserve better than this!
This maybe a good situation for the chief of police to look into to resolve. from what i have read about him, he is a no nonsense guy and will not put with this type of performance buy staff.
Oh so since we are now speaking of all that's irrelevant, let's also mention the officer (no names but google it) that brutally beat the mayors nephew. Looks like this post is turning out to be Hartford PD Dispatchers vs Hartford Cop Anonymous huh? Whichever cop requested for this recording to be burned and submitted it To Brookman has too much time on their hands. About lunch breaks?? Sorry they are not guaranteed. It's public safety dispatch if you didn't know which is also the 3rd most stressful job in the country. Not police work. See unlike you officers we cant hop in a car and drive to the other side of Hartford to grab something to eat (and you take that trip so willingly) but when you have to take a paper on the other side of town like on Charlotte st, all hell breaks loose. About ignoring the car south... Well Brookman didn't explain that this recording was from car south so it looks like the conversation took place on patrol 2 (1 of 2 primary channels we are obligated to monitor)
About letting the people of Hartford down?? Just the same way you officers milk calls while the citizens wait 2-3 hours for a response? Code 1 call or not. A call or C call every callers complaint is a priority and it should be addressed ASAP. God forbid we try to pull an officer from a call! 9 out of 10 times when that happens the officer has some smart ass remark to say over the primary channel but they are not labeled unprofessional? Come on! I support the dispatcher in this recording 100%. As I said before she's a damn good dispatcher that always has officer safety on her mind. I'm sure if you were ballsy enough to actually call a zip shed make sure to send you help and that's more important than monitoring car south. After all you wouldn't want her to miss anything on patrol 2 right?
The last commentor, shut your pie hole. You come on the street and fight with a naked 300lb mental patient, or run into a burning building. The only stress in dispatch is what magazine you want to read. You are obviously trying to compare police work to dispatching. No comparison. You answer a phone, You are a glorified tele-marketer. At least that officer, shows up to work and is ready to work, stays in shape. But then again, those comments are coming from a biggest loser contest participant. I hope you win..
The last commentor, shut your pie hole. You come on the street and fight with a naked 300lb mental patient, or run into a burning building. The only stress in dispatch is what magazine you want to read. You are obviously trying to compare police work to dispatching. No comparison. You answer a phone, You are a glorified tele-marketer. At least that officer, shows up to work and is ready to work, stays in shape. But then again, those comments are coming from a biggest loser contest participant. I hope you win..
The proof is in the doritos filled pudding.....Oh and by the way, the biggest loser contest in dispatch has nothing to do with WEIGHT....
Your job as a dispatcher is to answer the phones. Then advise as to what incident needs police atteniton first. You are not in charge. You do not write nonsense reports. You do not fight with mental patients off their meds. You should keep quiet and hope that no other dirty little secrets make it out into the media.
Everyone needs to find god and make harmony between our brothers and sisters. Pain and dislike is the work of the devil. Please try to love and care for one another. The bible will show you the direction you need, even if you wear flip flops or eat popcorn..
"All Jaffee's bags are packed, and he's ready to go.."
Mr. Brookman,
I find extremely disturbing that these findings are revealed in such a manner to incite a lesser then favorable viewing of the the Dispatch center. I als ofind it extremely disturbing that such acts are done with little regard to officers on my street. Yes I am a tax payer like you. I bet that Governor Malloy would be upset to hear this. Maybe Len can put this on one of his segments. Its time to take the bull by the horns.
thank You for all you do, you are a true patriot.
Actual Hartford Tax Payer
What an embarrassment.
Did anyone hear the call from 3580 Main St on Friday? The PJ guys are trying to get an ambulance for a pregnant female and dispatch is making jokes and giving them a hard time about trying to get it sent high priority.
I wonder if anyone stops to think that the members of the general public hear what comes out of our portables when they are near us. I cringe sometimes and hurry to turn my volume down when some of the ridiculous banter comes across the air.
Believe it or not, many of us consider ourselves as professionals and carry ourselves as such, can't say that for everyone.
Instead of airing out your problems on this blog the Officers and Dispatchers should sit down and figure out how to fix the problems on both sides of the fence.By airing out your problems in a public fourm this this only makes the public you serve dis trust you more than they already do.This blog does nothing to make your job easier and less stressful
Nothing will change until somebody gets killed.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, get rid of the Dept. Head altogether and bring back the Sgt.'s in there and reimplement the preemployment background process for potential employees. You'll spend money on Sgt overtime but I guarantee it'll be less than what's paid out for Jaffee's, Bruce's&O'Dwyer's combined salaries. This type of stuff NEVER happened years ago when we had Sgt.'s in there. If my memory serves me correctly, it was Marquis' great epiphany to civilianize dispatch(Great chief he was). Not gonna bash anyone because there's enough fault to go around for everyone, but it can be reduced if an actual authority figure who's not afraid to do his/her job were in the office. Sick time is constantly abused by the same folks, people are always late and favoritism and bully tactics are at an all-time high(we all know what supervisor that is). An intervention needs to be had and not by Jaffe. He's weak and now everyone is speaking on it, so usher his ass out like Daryl and resurrect this place with new leadership by reintroducing old methodologies.
What is troubling is the lack of the facts. Does anyone care that this conversation took placve on a private channel, not the dispatching channel ? Does ity matter that that very channel is almost optional to monitor considering that the main dispatch channel is the priority. Does anyone care that this was not an active call and not a officer safety issue ? The officer was not relaying informationd for offiecr safety he was passing the call to a north car. Area of integrity ? Kevin if as you so poignantly stated domestics are so dangerous and important should it really matter if its north or spouth, do those badges not say hartford police ? i dont recall ever seeing a hpd badch that has north car or south car on it ? Its real easy to take 15 seconds of a conversation and make assumptions.
no matter how much you try to divert attention away from the facts, the bottom line is that the comments were unprofessional and points to a much greater problem with supervision.
Car to car -south channel is not a "private channel" as you stated, it is routinely used and answered by the appropriate dispatcher, the same as they do when they are "i-called".
Sorry if you are offended but there is one sure way to change that...do your jobs and act like the rest of the professional in there and stop trying to cover for the rest
Its sad how everyone is keeping this stupid blog going we have good and bad on both sides. All that is ever asked of anyone is to come in to work and do your job. We are all trained professionals and should act accordingly.
It's ok that you officer hate us dispatchers. The citizens of Hartford feel the same way about you! Thank god for popcorn an flip flops!
Hate is a strong word last comment. I don't really care about any dispatchers. Im here to do a job, not eat popcorn and drink on duty.....
Hey Kevin, Is it not amazing what is said over police scanners. Especially when dispatchers and officers I call one another and insult another officer. Wow. I m glad those tapes can be FOI and are locked in a hard drive. Can you say hostile work environemt.
>>>>>To BE CONTINUED>>>>>>>
Same Dispatcher, Popcorn incident likes to insult on I-Calls. But its ok, City will pay.......
I would not give a squirt of piss to save a dispatcher who caught themselves on fire in their dispatch chair from the friction caused from moving a fork or spoon from their troof to their 3rd chin....Hartford Police dispatchers are Abdows Big Boy drive through window rejects.....that recording is only the tip of the iceberg for unprofessional conduct....why doesnt someone FOI a complete 24 hour a day recording and listen to the horrible service that emergency personel are forced to deal with.....pathetic....to think that a dispatcher is paid almost as much as the cops and firefighers is appalling....i would rather gather up all the Dunkin Donuts drive through window employees in the city and have them dispatch me....atleast I would be hearing clear english from someone with a better attitude..thats what up!
That's not the worst of it. The dispatcher that was blogged on numerous times weeks ago for her numerous domestic related arrests...u guessed it, returning to work next week. SMH...UNBELIEVABLE!!!! And that ladies and gentleman is the crux of the problem...negative retention.
Anonymous
Regarding the dispatcher looking up her boyfriend recently on NCIS, IT WAS MY FRIEND(his other girlfriend) WHOM HER(DISPATCHER) "FIANCEE" "ALLEGEDLY" BEAT UP THAT CAUSED HIM TO HAVE THAT WARRANT. WHO KNOWS HOW MANY TIMES THE AUTHORITY HAS BEEN ABUSED
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