Sunday morning, nothing better to do, Question

[rick521]

When I started in 1968 (skip the wise cracks, we had cars, we had radios) dispatch would send me to an accident and I would say 10-4.

Now days dispatch tries that and you hear questions about, make, model and color of cars. Officers want to know what lanes vehicles are in. Etc, Etc, Etc.

My question is WHY?

 

[BoxAlarm187]

If it's an interstate MVA, I like to know which lanes the vehicles are in so I know which shoulder to make my approach on. Just my $0.02!

 

[KAA951]

If I am in town, many times the cars are pulled off of the road into a business parking lot. That is about the only time I will ask for that info just so I can find them (amazing how many drivers won't flag you down when you drive in).

I agree though that too much information comes out of dispatch sometimes. BREVITY is what I have always taught my rookies. If you stop to help change a tire go 10-44 and call it good. I really don't care (and either does the dispatcher) that you have stopped to check on someone, they have a right rear flat tire, that they have a small spare tire in the trunk, that the jack they have doesn't fit or is mickey mouse, that they are using your 4-way and jack and you should have them back on the road in a few minutes..... Another example- why tell dispatch that you just stopped to move something out of the road- do you want a gold star? In the meantime the guy stopping a felon can't get in on the radio. Sorry- I will get off my soap box now.

Can you imagine if the idiots in Washington DC had really forced law enforcement to go to "plain language"??? Plain language is fine for the fire service but in law enforcement you would never get a word in edgewise!

 

[rick521]

Sorry- I will get off my soap box now.

I asked a soap box question, hope everyone jumps on the box.

 

[BoxAlarm187]

Can you imagine if the idiots in Washington DC had really forced law enforcement to go to "plain language"??? Plain language is fine for the fire service but in law enforcement you would never get a word in edgewise!

Did you miss the article on www.officer.com that Chertoff has reversed his reversal, and now plain-text is expected to be in use by 2007? It was posted this week.

I don't want to highjack this thread, but I work closesly with two law enforcement agencies that both use clear text, and have no problem with it - either for officer safety, or messages taking longer to deliver.

People that talk on the radio too much are on both sides - dispatchers, firefighters, and LEO's.

 

[rick521]

Did you miss the article on www.officer.com that Chertoff has reversed his reversal, and now plain-text is expected to be in use by 2007? It was posted this week.

I don't want to highjack this thread, but I work closesly with two law enforcement agencies that both use clear text, and have no problem with it - either for officer safety, or messages taking longer to deliver.

People that talk on the radio too much are on both sides - dispatchers, firefighters, and LEO's.

Lets take this one to http://radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21612

 

[dfndr13]

In my opinion, we need more information as the courts hammer us with stupid questions. For example if an ATL was broadcast for a possible Drunk Driver, I would want as much inforamtion as could possibley be obtained. Color, Make, direction...evertyhihng. It helps build the case if the person was found to be DUI. Is it alwasy needed for every instance no, most of the time it's just someone who likes to talk on the radio. However, I must say that such information should be as brief as possible or go to a different channel, just in case of an emergency. Just my opinion. Matt