March 3, 19xx

From: Chief Dispatcher Xxxxx

To: Lt. Xxxxx

Re: CITIZEN COMPLAINT

On Saturday, March 1, 19xx I was contacted on the telephone by a Oaktown resident who said he felt a dispatcher acted inappropriately during a call he made earlier in the day.

The man said he called at 1408 hours to report a person honking their car horn in front of his address and spoke to dispatcher "A12," who is Dispatcher Xxxxx. Specifically, he said after describing his complaint, the dispatcher asked, "Haven't you ever honked your car to get someone's attention?" Later in the conversation, the man felt the dispatcher was not inclined to help him, so he asked to speak to her supervisor. The dispatcher kept talking to the man, as if refusing to refer him. Shortly after, the dispatcher put the man on hold, returned to the line and told him, "My supervisor is not available."

I confirmed with the caller that the Dispatcher never used rude or inappropriate language. Rather, the Dispatcher seemed unwilling to assist him, asked an inappropriate question and refused to allow him to speak to her supervisor.

I told the caller I would listen to the tape, determine if anything inappropriate occurred, and take the necessary action with the dispatcher. I asked the caller if that was satisfactory, and he said, "Yes." I asked him if he wanted a follow-up call on the results of my investigation, and he said, "No." The call ended with the caller thanking me and saying he appreciated my listening to him.

I located the conversation on the logging recorder and confirmed the details of the call, including the time and the involved Dispatcher. I made a copy of the tape and listened to the call. The caller's version of the encounter was very close to what actually occurred.

Indeed, Xxxxx did ask the caller if he had ever honked his horn, avoided a timely referral to her supervisor, and told the man her supervisor wasn't available.

In this case, the man was reporting an incident that occurred some time prior. Although the incident could be considered a Motor Vehicle Code offense, an officer would have to observe the offense to take any action. Xxxxx should have explained this to the caller. She should not have asked a question that demeaned the importance of the man's problem. And when the man asked to speak to her supervisor, Xxxxx should have made an immediate referral. If the supervisor was unavailable, she should have offered to take the man's name and telephone number for the Chief Dispatcher or sergeant to call him back.

I've attached a tape of the call. Please let me know how you would like to proceed.