Forgotten Victim-Stress and the Police Dispatcher

• NCJ Number: 93716
• Journal: FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 53 Issue: 3 Dated: (March 1984) Pages: 7-11
• Author(s): J D Sewell; L Crew
• Date Published: 1984
• Length: 5 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Stress witin law enforcement affects not only sworn personnel but also their civilian support system, particularly police dispatchers.

Abstract

To deal with the problem, the unique stressors experiences by support workers first must be identified. These workers are perceived as second-class citizens within their department, and their training is insufficient. They must deal with a heavy volume of radio traffic and incoming telephone calls within a short time. They must often act quickly and decisively, have little control over their work environment, are physically confined, and have limited interpersonal communication with field officers. Moreover, they must deal with citizens who are themselves under stress, and they have little opportunity to grow professionally and personally. Administrative changes to reduce employee stress include better training for dispatchers; involvement of dispatchers in the departmental decisionmaking process; development and encouraged use of temporary escape facilities, such as a breakroom with food and beverage machines, and development of promotional alternatives within the agency. Seven footnotes and photographs are included.