Police Dispatchers??

Question

I am interested in a career in Law Enforcement, i am 18 and really want to start my life!

i am wondering what i might need to get into Police Dispatch?

what qualifications etc?

Can i become a Police officer this way?

How long does it take to train to be a dispatcher?

any information you can give me will be great thanks.

PS i am looking to apply for Sacramento, San Francisco, Tucson, anywhere in AZ or CA.

thank you

Answer 1

police academy

Answer 2

Most department will hire at 18 for a dispatcher.

In CA if I remember right, you have to go through a POST certified dispatcher training because they also do EMD(Emergency Medical Dispatching) and you are much more likely to be hired after you have been certified.

The cost is such that you may have to agree to work for a department for a length of time in order for them to recoup there investment in you.

You might also consider a smaller department to "get your feet wet" then move to a bigger department. That's what I did out here in Oklahoma and now I'm a shift supervisor at a county E-911 center

Yes you can move up to police officer this way, but not until you turn 21. Better training would be to get a job at a county jail as a jailer and get training in take down and control techniques.

Here is the job description from the department where I first started http://www.pvpd.net/dispatchdescription....

Good Luck!

Answer 3

Many departments are hiring dispatchers/call takers. Most will accept an 18 years old. You will have to pass certain tests. Multi tasking, English and any other language proficiency and typing at over 30 wpm is essential at most departments.

It is usually a civilian job and while some dispatchers go on to be the police it is not only not a guarantee and it is not a regular progression.

To be a police officer for the departments you mentioned you will need at least 60 semester hours of college, an AA degree, any major is OK.  The school must be legitimate.

You will not be able to be a sworn officer until age 21. Most of those departments require a physical agility test prior to hiring, some prior to even taking the written tests. You might as well start running (8 minute mile is usual) and developing upper body strength (getting over a 6 foot sheer wall is usual) now.Background investigation will be extensive.

One job site is

officer.com.

You can search for dispatch or dispatch aides wanted by state.

Answer 4

Go to cop school..