TV Report Spotlights Gossip, Misconduct

The dispatchers at Washington’s (DC) Office of Unified Communications bad-mouth officers while on-duty, gossip on the telephone and ignore radio requests for assistance, according to a major investigation by a local TV station. According to Fox affiliate WTTG, the District’s Fraternal Order of Police has filed complaints, and some dispatchers have been disciplined, but the behavior continues, potentially risking the lives of officers. The TV report lays out several incidents where dispatchers conducted personal and gossipy telephone calls, while telling radio units, “You’re on stand-by.” In other cases, the dispatchers talked on the phone, and then gave field units incomplete or incorrect address and other information. After the TV report, DC mayor Adrian Fenty defended comm center director Janice Quintana, saying she has brought reform to the center, while admitting that the center, “has a long way to go.” Read the TV report here, then the phone and interesting side-by-side phone-radio transcripts here.here.