Location: Williamsburg,VA, USA
Communications Officers are civilian employees that perform critical functions in association with the police and security components of the Department. The Communications Officer is the first point of contact when someone calls 911 or the WMPD emergency phone line to report an emergency or an immediate need for police, fire or ambulance response. It is this officer that has to solicit and receive the accurate and appropriate information to ensure that there is a timely and proper response to meet the need.
In this regard, the Communications Officer has to have the knowledge and skills to interact with persons in crisis, de-escalate emotional persons, multi-task soliciting information while also disseminating information to responding units, operate the necessary data bases and equipment in the process, manage the Computer Aided Dispatch requirements for each call, actively liaison with other public safety agencies, monitor all police activity in real-time, and constantly reprioritize calls for service. The Communications Officer is frequently referred to as the heartbeat of any police department. They have primary control over all police radio communications. They must run all driver's license, warrant, and criminal background checks needed by police officers in the field. Police officers depend on communications officers to act in the best interest of their police officer safety.
A minimum of one Communications Officer is required on-shift 24/7. In addition to these traditional Communications Officer (CO) responsibilities, WMPD CO's must monitor special events and facilitate all police activity associated with the traffic control, safety, and security of the event. They also monitor other police agency radio traffic for any activity that could impact the W&M campus, manage all surveillance cameras, and receive all duress, intrusion, and fire alarms. WMPD also allows walk-ins into the front desk of the Department to provide a crime report or request for assistance. The CO is the in-person first point of contact for any member of the community seeking this type of walk-in service. CO's must be able to interact in-person with these persons no matter what the situation. They must be able to listen, request proper police response from patrol to the police station, and handle the situation until the response arrives. This can be anything from a person reporting stolen property to a person reporting a sexual assault.