Dispatcher shortage impacting Pueblo Police

For police officers, dispatchers are the first line of contact to the public in an emergency.

However, the dispatch center at the Pueblo Police Department is feeling the impacts of the nationwide staff shortage.

DEFENSE.NOW A STORY YOU WILL ONLY SEEHERE ON NEWS FIVE...ONE THAT IMPACTS PUBLIC SATYFEIN PUEBLO.THE PUEBLO POLICE DEPARTMENT ISDEALING WITH A SHORTAGE OFDISPATCHERS...A PROBLEM THAT IS HAPPENINGNATIONWIDE.NEWS FIVE'S NATALIE CHUCK JOS INUS NOW WITH MORE ON THE DAILYIMPACT, INSIDE THE CALL CENTERAT THE PUEBLO POLIDEPARTMENT.

..IF YOU WALK THROUGH THE DISPATCHCENTER DURING A SHIFT THESEDAYS...THERE ARE USUALLY EMPTYCHAIRS...WHILE THE DEPARTMENT DEALS WH ITA LESS THAN IDEAL NUMBER OFDISPATCHERS EMPLOYED...THE INCOMING CALLS...ARE NOT SLOWING DOWN....OK RQNAT POP OF CALL CENTER"WE WORK 24 HOURS A DAY, SENEVDAYS A WEEK, HOLIDAYS, ALL OFTHAT." JUST A SMALL PART OF THEREASON DISPATCH MANAGER KIMJEFFRIES SAYS...THEY HAVE A HARD TIME RETAING INEMPLOYEES..

.."IT'S A DIFFICULT JOB.SOME PEOPLE JUST CAN'T HANDLENOT JUST THE STRESS, BUT THEABILITY TO MULTITASK A TNDHEGRAVITY OF THE POSITION ITSE" LFDATA SHOWN BY THE CHIEF OFHE TPUEBLO POLICE DEPARTMENT TO CITYCOUNCIL IN A RECENT WORKSESSION...SHOWS HOW DIRE T SHEHORTAGE HASBEEN IN RECENT MONTHS...IN MID-OCTOBER...THE DISPATCH CENTER WAS LFHASTAFFED...WITH FIVE OF THE TWELVEDISPATCHERS HAVING TO GOTHROUGH AN OVER SIX-WEEK LONGTRAINING PROCESS BEFORE ACTUALLYSTARTING THE JOB...."IT'S DIFFICULT CAUSE WEDEFINITELY WANT TO SERVE THECITIZENS, BUT WE CAN ONLY DO THEBEST THAT WE CAN WITH AS MY ANRESOURCESTHAT WE HAVE"RESOURCES THAT ARE EXTREMELYVALUABLE TO NOJUT ST CITIZENS...BUALT SO OFFICERS IN THEFIELD...."DISPATCHERS ARE BASICAL OLYFIRST CONTACT WITH MOST PEOPLEIN THE PUBLIC, THEY ARE THE ESONTHAT SEND OFFICERS ON CALLS,THEY'RE THE ONES THAT PRIORITIZEWHERE OFFICERS NEED TO GO" NATPOP OF CALL CENTER"THEY'RE AT WORK THE WHOLE TIMETHEY'RE HERE.

..THERE'S VERY LITTLE DOWN TIME INTHIS POSITION, SO WHEN THEY AREHERE EVEN THE 8 HOURS THAT THEYDO, THEY'RE HARD EIGHT HOURS"LATELY THOSE EIGHT HOUR SHIFT...CAN TURN INTO SIXTEEN HOURTOSMAKE UP FOR THE STAFFINGPROBLEM...BUT FOR JEFFRIES...BETWEEN THE LONG SHIFT ANDTHOUSANDS OF CALLS...SHE STILL LOVES HER JOB..."USUALLY THEY DON'T CALL 911 ONTHEIR BEST DAY, SO TO BE ABLE TOGET THEM THE HELP THAT THEY'RENEEDING.IT'S ASLO EXCITING!

THERE ISSOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY"AND HOPES NEW DIATSPCHERS AREHIRED SOON..."EACH CALL IS A SURPRISE"AND FALL IN LOVE WITH IT TOO...DISPATCHERS REHE TAKE CALLS FORBOTH PPD AND THE FE IRDEPARTMENT...IF YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTEDN IAPPLYING FOR A DISPATCHERPOSITION...WE HAVE THE LINK FORYOU OVER ON OUR WEBSITE KO