Public Safety Dispatch (911 / Law Enforcement)

[bonk]

It's a cool concept for sure, but would it work? No.

[Sam2]

It doesn't work. It's not necessary. 

[voucher]

I think it’s a really good idea but it just won’t work when put into execution because of manpower issues amongst other things.

[Bauer]

It would be cool at first but interest would die down rapidly.

[ThomasNoman]

Yeah, I understand what you guys mean by interest going down. In an LEO FiveM server I'm a member of, there's around 900 active members. Only around 20 are in Dispatch because it's a very stressed job, with it being voice, and you will get overwhelmed really quickly because you have to dispatch 40-50 units, including the Fire Department (in peak hours). Moreover, if you're the only Dispatch on-duty, you have to handle LEO comms, Fire Comms and 911, but when there's more we can talk on who will take 911 operator or Secondary, something like that.

 

Now, in GTA World, it's texted-based, so pretty much yeah, it will be just typing and typing, so it might get boring very fast, I understand.

[DomThomson]

A simple reason why this wouldn't work is just because all the factions use different systems of callsigns, codes, procedures and other stuff which would make it hard for them to have a joint dispatchers which would be required to work together. If a faction wants dispatchers they can create their internal system and shouldn't be forced to have a third party agency do it for them, as it grants them less control over their units then they should. I myself play in the LSPD on both a civilian positions, ACO of Personnel Division and a field position of Police Officer III and I can say that working out a system which would work is MUCH MUCH harder then you might think, at least for the LSPD. Here is why, this isn't voice based but text based, thus you have to type everything out and since we are following the LAPD communication, the LSPD would also use the LAPD type of dispatching and managing of units which is basically a communications unit-to-nothing rather then unit-to-dispatch. With this you run into the issues of not being to directly assign units to calls, typing out long messages and logging of incidents, you need to find a fine line between it being overwhelming and underwhelming, which I myself have been looking into for the last three or four months, and still wasn't able to find it completely. As well as that you have the power struggle, right now most handling of units is done by supervisors, and it being switched to dispatchers would present an issue of power struggle between supervisors and dispatchers, all of this, is it something which could be overcome with a system? Sure, but as I said above, it takes a lot of time and it might just not work. I myself and a couple of people in the LSPD will continue looking into it and we might come up with something, we might not, but I definetely don't agree with another agency being created to dispatch for the LSPD.

Edited December 6, 2020 by DomThomson

[Barross]

As part of the LSPD myself, and someone who's always felt interest towards what the dispatchers do, I'd support a system with the creation of a third agency to dispatch, or the implementation of such service in one of the two LEO faction to serve both. This system has its cons, for sure, but I feel it adds a level of realism and could greatly improve the way we function as police, gathering information from the original source without having to be calling the reporting party after getting there, losing information and time in the process.

 

Now, as for the concerns with compatibility, I don't think they're that large to overcome. Sure, we are two different agencies with notable differences in policy and procedure, but I don't see how that contradicts the idea of a dispatcher. They're just in charge of assigning units to a specific scene and handling officers' requests, which aren't that different after all. Plus, our internal policies aren't that complicated, and one person can easily work on both ends without much struggle after a proper training phase.

 

I'd be down to do it myself, but considering it seems the majority of both factions' members oppose such a change, I guess it will continue to be shot down.

[Tempesto]

Can you get the live location of players on a map within a browser, for dispatchers to use?

[yerro]

1 hour ago, Barross said:

As part of the LSPD myself, and someone who's always felt interest towards what the dispatchers do, I'd support a system with the creation of a third agency to dispatch, or the implementation of such service in one of the two LEO faction to serve both. This system has its cons, for sure, but I feel it adds a level of realism and could greatly improve the way we function as police, gathering information from the original source without having to be calling the reporting party after getting there, losing information and time in the process.

 

Now, as for the concerns with compatibility, I don't think they're that large to overcome. Sure, we are two different agencies with notable differences in policy and procedure, but I don't see how that contradicts the idea of a dispatcher. They're just in charge of assigning units to a specific scene and handling officers' requests, which aren't that different after all. Plus, our internal policies aren't that complicated, and one person can easily work on both ends without much struggle after a proper training phase.

 

I'd be down to do it myself, but considering it seems the majority of both factions' members oppose such a change, I guess it will continue to be shot down.

Frankly, it continues to be declined for good reasons. Here are some of them.

 

1. Time.

 

Right now the only variable in a 911 call scenario is you. Situations develop way too fast in the game as it is, and adding an extra variable — that being the dispatcher and time for each to read each other's replies — would slow down the time it takes for units to get on scene. Which, frankly, is already a bit lacking — speaking from my experience before RPing a LEO.

 

Not gonna delve into these reasons since I believe there's an OOC factor to keep things fun (no one wants to be forced to be assigned to, say, a dead district, and we all want to have fun and roleplay in diverse environments — so, straying off topic here, I'm against tying units to a specific area).

 

2. Roleplay vs Mission.

 

You'll be pitting dispatchers to choose between providing and enjoying roleplay on the one hand, and fulfilling their mission — collect statement, relay it to field units — on the other.

 

You don't need to go far to see why that wouldn't work. Just take a look at cabbie RP on this server or frankly any other. I feel sorry for them, man — they're always stuck in the dilemma to either take time to roleplay with the passenger or just get them from A to B.

 

3. Core concept.

 

Let's face it — you'll be seating people in a room to sit and roleplay playing Galaga or Solitaire in between calls. Maybe talking to each other, if there is more than one around. Other than that, they'll most likely be secluded from everyone else having to fulfil a simple function.

 

It turns people into service dispensers.

 

I can see how this might've worked in Thomas N's community, but let me note that according to the OP of the suggestion itself, that community is a LEO sim server. It's totally understandable that they want to go through all that effort to set up a viable crime reporting & dispatcher system — it's integral for them to process crime reporting in a sensible fashion.

 

We are a roleplaying community. Making peace officers use the radio realistically (as much as the nature of the game allows it) in a very streamlined fashion is fine. Creating a separate role for whom that will be their only job isn't, at least in my opinion.