Communications

The Communications Section is critical to the operations of the Parker Police Department. Incidents generally begin and end with the dispatchers. Dispatchers are often called the "True First Responders."

Responsibilities

The Communications Section provides 24-hour emergency services to the residents of Parker and Lone Tree. The staff is trained to handle numerous emergencies and non-emergencies that are called in to the Police Department every day. They utilize multitasking skills by monitoring up to ten computer screens, while answering multiple incoming phone calls and transmitting over the radio simultaneously. Communications processes approximately 11,200 calls for service per month for both Parker and Lone Tree working 12 hour shifts, including holidays. They also coordinate communications with multiple agencies.

Dispatchers continuously document everything that is being told to them on the phone and on the radio. This information is logged into a Computer-Aided Dispatch System, or CAD. It is imperative that all of this information be kept accurate, for both the safety of the officers and the safety of the public.

Employees of the Communications Section also complete a variety of paperwork processing. As officers take reports of stolen vehicles, property, missing persons, etc., dispatch is responsible for entering this data into the Department of Justice and National Crime Information Systems, as well as entering towed / impounded vehicles and private property / repossessed vehicles into various databases.

Facts

  • Parker and Lone Tree Police officially combined their Communications Center as of January 1, 2006.
  • In 2020, the Communications Center handled approximately 109,197 calls for service by way of telephone
    • Roughly 2454 of those calls were 9-1-1 hang ups.
    • Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls to 9-1-1: 1,364
    • Cell phone calls to 9-1-1: 13,198
    • Landline calls to 9-1-1: 1,280
    • Communications Technicians answered 9-1-1 calls within two seconds

Communications Programs