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Changing a Call Type

By Brenda Osorio posted 10-25-2011 08:53

  
I am wondering why you wouldn't want to change the call type? I am in charge of a PSAP that only dispatches police. We often get calls where, what the call taker is told on the phone is not what is really going on once police arrive on location. I would think you would want statistics that would show the actual correct call type and the actual correct location that the incident occurred at for officer safety reasons on top of having the correct incident information for future calls at the address. If you had a homicide that occurred at the location but a neighbor called it in as a security check of a person why would you not want to know that a homicide occurred there? By checking previous calls the next time police have to respond to that location you would have the correct information and be able to give this information to the officers for safety purpose. It is also our policy that dispatchers do not change a call type or incident location without being told to do so by an Officer. You should have a CAD system that tracks these changes so you should be able to find out who changed the call type and go back to that person for more information if needed. 

If you allow the changes its then possible to go back and see what was changed and check recordings from a QA stand point. Is my call taker gathering correct information? Do they get the whole picture when taking the call? Did they use a call type because they didn't ask enough questions?
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04-29-2012 09:01

In our agency what it comes in as is what it stays as. However behind the scenes after the deputy completes their report then records assigns UCRcodes (uniform crime reporting codes) they are what determines what the call ended up as and what is reported to the FBI. The initital call type is not what determines the outcome for reporting. Since that is what the call is reported as it should not be changed. It can also show a history of false reporting but if you change it that will not be something to look at as well. In doing a QA of the call the dispatcher is gathering the correct information based on what the RP was reporting. Regarding the issue of knowing what crimes occurred there those UCR codes in the RMS side of your cad will determine that. Hopefully that helps.