Dispatchers Step Up After 4 Officers Killed

The entire staff of dispatchers at the Oakland (Calif.) Police Department will attend the memorial service Friday of four officers, killed in an exchange of gunfire last Saturday during a car stop and related SWAT operation. The California Tactical Dispatchers Association (CTDA) called up its members after the shooting to provide the OPD dispatchers with immediate coverage so dispatchers could take time off to grieve, and dispatchers from as far away as Los Angeles will provide staffing during the memorial service itself. The California Highway Patrol and Alameda County Sheriff will provide patrol coverage so all 815 officers and nearly 400 civilian employees can attend the service at the 18,000-seat city-county arena. The service will include officers from across the country, including 50 from Boston, and a fly-over by 20 public safety helicopters. Watch a TV report on how the state’s dispatchers are helping here, and a snippet of the public memorial service on March 27th, which included a OPD radio moment of silence announced by a dispatcher.