By Carl Lindquist
The York Dispatch
YORK COUNTY, Pa. — York County police officers in a new survey sharply criticize the county’s new 911 radio system, management of its 911 center and the competency of its 911 dispatchers.
Nearly 150 police officers responded to a 22-question survey sent out by the York County Chiefs of Police Association in early November.
The majority of officers said they aren’t confident in the 911 center’s ability to keep themselves or the public safe. Most said the center was not properly managed or supervised and that dispatchers were not properly trained or competent.
The most serious problems are the new 911 radio system and the management of the dispatch center, according to survey results. Officers also raised concerns about the county’s new computer-aided dispatch system, which they depend on to relay information to in-car computers about the circumstances surrounding police calls.
Most said the system usually doesn’t connect or work properly.
“The mission of YC (York County) 911 is to serve the first responders,” one officer wrote in comments sent in with the survey. “The quality of service they provide can only be judged by that standard. They fail day-in and day-out.”
“It seems that unless someone gets hurt or killed, the York County Commissioners or York County 911 will not listen or do anything to change this horrendous system or organization,” wrote another officer. “I have given my wife full detailed instructions to sue 911 and the York County in the event that something would ever happen to me.”
The survey results, obtained through a Pennsylvania Right to Know Act request, were given to the county in mid-November.
The survey was sent out to police departments about two weeks earlier, said Lower Windsor Police Chief David Sterner, who is also secretary of the police chiefs association. There are about 600 sworn law enforcement officers in York.
Response: County officials said they are taking action to resolve the concerns.
The county is aware of some problems with the radio system, and the system vendor is working to resolve them, said Eric Bistline, the county’s executive director of emergency services.
The new radio and computer-aided dispatch systems are part of an estimated $67.8 million 911 project that also included a new emergency services center in Springettsbury Township.
The county is planning to make the radio system easier to use, he said. It has also taken steps to improve the training provided to dispatchers and to battle turnover, he said. Plus, the county hired someone specifically to monitor the quality of service.
Bistline said the results of the survey were “disappointing,” but said there’s no way to please everyone.
Bistline noted that, of 600 sworn law enforcement personnel, 148 responded to the survey.
“You can do the percentages,” he said.
Southern Regional Police Department Police Chief Jim Childs said the survey was conducted to determine exactly how officers in the field felt about the current communication system in place.
Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that police officers across the county are well-equipped to deal with dangerous situations, said Childs, president of the chiefs’ association.
“I want the system working, I want the system fixed,” he said. “I want to know when I go to bed at night that my officers are safe.”
The survey results will be updated with additional information from several police departments that didn’t respond to the initial inquiry, Childs said. However, he said he believes the questions were fair and the results came from a representative sample of the police community.
Results: The survey provided mixed results on some questions.
For example, the vast majority of officers said they don’t believe the 911 radio system will provide reliable communication to keep them safe. But at the same time, about half said the radio usually works when they need it.
The majority of officers said the most serious problem at 911 is the radio system, followed by management/supervision at the dispatch center.
York County Commissioner Doug Hoke said he was taken a “little by surprise” by the survey because telephone and e-mail complaints about the 911 radio system have all but stopped.
“It’s certainly alarming to know that a certain percentage of our police officers in our community aren’t confident in the system we have,” he said.
Hoke, who took office in 2008, wasn’t a commissioner when the county administration moved forward with the new radio network and its related components, such as the computer-aided dispatch system.
But he was told emergency responders were an integral part of the decision-making process.
He expects the survey to generate meetings to determine solutions to the problems.
“You can’t not respond and take these seriously,” he said.
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