Council Seeks More Data Before Making Changes To HPD Dispatch

By Tammy Gray-Searles
   No decisions were made about whether to move forward with a proposal to turn city emergency dispatch services over to Navajo County during a Holbrook City Council work session held May 27.
   Council members did ask city and county officials to gather additional information about what such a partnership would look like before a final decision is made.
   “I know this has the potential to be a hot topic, but we’re here to find out the pros and cons,” Mayor Jeff Hill said in opening the meeting. “The point is that we are here for the citizens of our city and we want to do the best we can by them.”
   City Manager Carlo Pilgrim began by telling council members that he estimated contracting with Navajo County for emergency dispatch services would save the city between $35,000 and $40,000 the first year and at least $120,000 in subsequent years. Pilgrim noted that the lower savings the first year reflect the cost of converting the existing police department database into a format compatible with software used by the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office. Pilgrim also noted that the projected savings were only rough estimates.
   “It’s difficult to pin down because there’s still some numbers that we’re not sure of,” he remarked.
   According to Pilgrim, the city’s current emergency dispatch equipment is outdated and will need to be replaced soon if dispatch services are not turned over to Navajo County. He noted that it will probably cost the city around $178,000 to retrofit the existing dispatch center.
   Pilgrim also told the council that, according to a service technician for the existing system, the system is “extinct,” and although it can continue to be used, a major problem or failure could not be repaired.
   Sheriff K.C. Clark told the council that from a financial standpoint, it would make sense for the county and the city to partner for dispatch services.
   “From the financial sense, I think it’s a good decision on the city and the county’s part,” he remarked.
   According to Clark, the county would add three additional dispatch positions to cover the Holbrook area.
   “Right now we have 10 dispatchers at the county,” he said. “To have three people on 24 hours a day would take 13 people, so we would absorb three positions from Holbrook.”
   Interim Chief of Police Mark Jackson noted that, in the absence of dispatchers at the police station, one or two positions would need to be created to maintain records and perform other recordkeeping duties now done by dispatchers.
   Councilman Wade Carlisle noted that his foremost concern was whether the county would use the city’s current frequency for dispatching officers, or whether the plan called for city officers and county deputies to use the same frequency. He explained that his concern was that there would be too much traffic on a single frequency, causing delays for the officers.
   “I’m concerned about them being able to get on (the radio),” Carlisle commented. “It’s also an issue of safety of the officers.”
   Clark indicated that a decision on frequencies had not been made, but there are several options for making sure no single frequency became too busy, including keeping Holbrook officers on their existing channel.
   “If we kept the HPD frequency, it would be no different than what you have now,” Clark said.
   Hill asked Clark to explain how partnering with the county would improve service to Holbrook residents and officers.
   “I understand the financial end, but what about any other advantages?” Hill asked. “How does this improve service? It’s not just about nickels and dimes to me.”
   Clark told the council that he believes the partnership would open up additional grant opportunities, provide better equipment for dispatchers, and offer more manpower in the dispatch center and the ability to provide better service.
   Councilman Stuart Szink asked Interim Chief Jackson how officers in the department feel about the proposal.
   “It’s a touchy situation,” Jackson said. “They do have concerns.”
   Jackson went on to say that although the transition might be difficult, he believes in the end a dispatch partnership would benefit both the citizens of Holbrook and the officers.
   “It’s always scary to try something new. There will be a lot of bugs to be worked out, but I think in the end it could be a good thing,” he remarked.
   Szink also asked how the Holbrook Police Department dispatchers felt about the proposal.
   Longtime dispatcher Sylvia Marez told the council that although she feels the department has always worked well with other agencies, including the sheriff’s office, she is concerned that citizens would not receive the same level of service.
   HPD administrative assistant Emily Wheeler added that there is an advantage to citizens knowing the dispatcher they are calling.
   “People know us when they call in,” she said. “It creates a certain comfort level when they know the voice on the phone.”
   Councilman Kent Darris asked Jackson about the condition of the existing equipment.
   Jackson replied that the equipment is currently running fine, but that he was also told by the vendor that it is “extinct.” He also noted that the police department will run into problems with the current equipment when surrounding agencies begin converting to digital signals.
   The council discussed the difference between response times between the city and the county, as well as the difference between dispatch times.
   Jackson pointed out that response times vary greatly depending on distance and the urgency of the call, and dispatch times also vary depending on the amount of time it takes to obtain information from the caller, as well as the urgency of the call.
   Mayor Hill asked what authority the Holbrook chief of police would have over the dispatchers in case of problems or complaints if the dispatchers were county employees.
   Sheriff Clark explained that there is always a dispatch supervisor available to handle issues or complaints, and that any issues could also be brought to him directly.
   Councilman Charles Haussman noted that the police department has always been very responsive to Holbrook schools, and that if there were any changes, he would want assurances that that responsiveness would continue.
   Hill opened the meeting up for public comments, and HPD Sergeant and longtime resident Matt Molique addressed the council. He explained that he has a number of concerns about the proposal, especially the number of manhours required for officers to file reports under the county’s software system. He explained that the city’s software automates much of the report process, and that in case of incidents where reports are not required, paperwork is generated by the dispatchers, freeing officers up to continue patrolling or to respond to another call.
   “It’s about how we do business,” he remarked, noting that it could cost the city more money in time spent by officers writing incident reports than it would save by combining the dispatch services.
   He also expressed concern that there would no longer be a dispatcher watching officers on video monitors while they deal with individuals under arrest who have been brought into the police station.
   “The dispatchers watch out for our safety. It’s also an officer safety issue,” he said.
   Molique noted there have been several incidents in which officers needed assistance with individuals under arrest and dispatchers were able to call additional officers before the officer needing help was able to call on the radio.
   He also asked the council to take into consideration the fact that there will no longer be a person immediately available when someone comes to the door of the police station. According to Molique, there have been a number of occasions when citizens have run into the department needing immediate help.
   “We have saved people at the front door,” he said.
   Molique asked the council to research the issue further, and to conduct a manpower study regarding the writing of reports under the county’s software system, before making a decision.
   “There’s a lot of issues that need to be addressed,” he said. “It could be a good thing or a bad thing, but you need to research it further. I’m asking you to look at it deeper.”
   Molique also told the council, “If all dispatchers did was answer phones and dispatch, this would be a small issue, but they do much more. I’m against it in the format it’s in.”
   The council asked city staff members to work with county officials to gather more information and work out some of the details of the proposal.
   Council members unanimously approved Carlisle’s motion to “move forward with information and fact finding, and putting what a merger would look like on paper.”