Pushing for police dispatch change

Many say that outdated 911 system needs an upgrade.

Use of force decision making starts with the information they receive from dispatch.

00:05:00-00:05:03 "WE NEED FIREOUT HERE.HEY PUT YOUR HANDS UP!"NEW TONIGHT!

THESE ARE JUSTSOME EXAMPLES OF POLICECOMMUNICATIONS.A NEW STUDY SHOWS THEINFORMATION POLICE OFFICERSRECEIVE FROM DISPATCHERSDIRECTLY IMPACTS WHETHER THEYFIRE THEIR WEAPON AT THE SCENETHAT HAS SOME CALLING FORCHANGES TO THE WAY THOSEREPORTS COME IN, AND GO OUT.REPORTER BO EVANS....WITH WHATSOME WANT CHANGED.DISPATCH CALLS "UNIT ONE,RESPOND TO 411 MAINSTREET FOR APOSSIBLE TRESPASS IN PROGRESS,BREAK.THE SUBJECT IS A WHITE MALEWEARING A BLACK HOODIE, KHAKIPANTS, BLACK BEANIE ANDSUNGLASSES," "UNIT ONEADDITIONAL, THE RP SAYS THESUBJECT APPEARS TO BE HOLDING AGUN," WHEN A LAW ENFORCEMENTOFFICER RECEIVES A CALL LIKETHIS FROM DISPATCH, A LOT GOESTHROUGH THEIR MIND.DON MIHALEK FEDERAL LAWENFORCEMENT OFFICERSASSOCIATION "YOU START GOINGOVER TACTICS IN YOUR MIND, YOUSTART WALKING THROUGH THEWORST-CASE SCENARIO, TYPICALLY,OF HOW YOU'RE GOING TO RESPONDTO AND HANDLE THIS INCIDENT,"BUT WHAT IF THAT INFO WASN'TQUITE RIGHT?

THE PERSONCALLING 911 MADE A MISTAKE?PAUL TAYLOR IS A FORMER POLICEOFFICER AND OFFICER TRAINER.WHEN RUNNING SIMULATIONS WITHCOULD DRASTICALLY CHANGE USE OFFORCE DECISION MAKING ANDOUTCOMES WITH SMALL PIECES OFINFORMATION AT THE FRONT END,"THE USE OF FORCE CAN MEAN A LOTOF THINGS TO POLICE, BUT INTHIS CASE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUTFIRING A GUN.PAUL NOTICED IF HE CHANGED SOMEOF THE INFO OFFICERS RECEIVEDIN THE SIMULATIONS, IT COULDCHANGE THE WHOLE OUTCOME.SO WHEN HE MOVED TO ACADEMICSWITH CU DENVER HE DECIDED TOMATCHED THE DESCRIPTION FROMTHE DISPATCH CALL.AND AFTER A LITTLE BIT OF TIMEA PERSON RAPIDLY PRODUCED ACELL PHONE FROM THEIR POCKET,"HE RAN A SIMULATION WHEREOFFICERS RESPONDED TO ATRESPASSING CALL.SOMETIMES THEY GOT AN UPDATESAYING THE SUSPECT WAS ON APHONE "UNIT ONE ADDITIONAL, THERP SAYS THE SUBJECT APPEARS TOBE TALKING ON A CELL PHONE," ORTHEY HAD A GUN.PT "THE GROUP GOT THE GUNDISPATCH OR GUN UPDATE, THEYSHOT THE PERSON MORE THAN TWICEAS OFTEN.SO WHEN THE PERSON PRODUCED ACELL PHONE, THEY SHOT THEM."ONLY SIX PERCENT OF THEOFFICERS WHO WERE TOLD THESUSPECT HAD A CELL PHONE FIREDA SHOT.DON MIHALEK FEDERAL LAWENFORCEMENT OFFICERSASSOCIATION "IT ALL STARTS ATTHE RADIO CALL," DON MIHALEK ISA FORMER POLICE OFFICER ANDSECRET SERVICE AGENT, WHO HASBEEN IN THESE TYPES OFSITUATIONS.HE KNOWS THE INFORMATION LAWENFORCEMENT IS GETTING ISN'TALWAYS ACCURATE.DM "ALL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THATEYEWITNESS TENDS TO BE THE MOSTUNRELIABLE TESTIMONY, AND ALSOYOU NEED TO TAKE INTOADRENALINE, FEAR, PEOPLE ARETRYING TO PROCESS THIS DYNAMICSITUATION THAT THEY'RE NOT USEDTO SEEING,"APRIL HEINZE NATIONAL EMERGENCYNUMBER ASSOCIATION"UNFORTUNATELY SOMETIMESEYEWITNESSES MAY NOT GET THINGS100% ACCURATE." APRIL HEINZEWORKS WITH AN ADVOCACY GROUPFOR 911 DISPATCHERS.AH "THE INTAKE THAT'S RECEIVEDBY THE CALLERS THAT ARE INEXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES IS BASEDON THEIR EMOTIONS ANDPERCEPTIONS," "THERE'S A LOT OFADRENALINE GOING THROUGH YOURSYSTEM," APRIL SAYS THE 911SYSTEM IS 50 YEARS OLD ANDISN'T TAKING ADVANTGE OF NEWTECHNOLOGY THAT COULD HELP GETOFFICERS MORE ACCURATEINFORMATION.AH "YOU KNOW WE'RE TALKINGABOUT TEXTS, AND PICTURES, ANDVIDEO, AND TWO WAY VIDEO ANDTHINGS LIKE THAT," PAUL AGREESTHAT WITNESSES SOMETIMES GIVEINACCURATE INFORMATION.PT "WE KNOW THAT, FROM THE TIMEWE'VE BEEN PLAYING TIN CANS ORTELEPHONE AS A KIDTHAT INFORMATION CHANGES AS ITPASSES BETWEEN PEOPLE," BUT HEDOESN'T WANT LAW ENFORCEMENT TORELY ON THE PUBLIC GETTINGBETTER AT REPORTING CRIMES.INSTEAD, "WE DEVELOP POLICIES,PROCEDURES AROUND THE HUMANELEMENT," MEANING ASSUME THATPEOPLE CALLING 911 ARE GOING TOMAKE MISTAKES.AND KEEP LEARNING FROM YOURMISTAKES.I KNOW YOU LIKED THIS BITEBUT IT'S A LITTLE OPEN ENDEDHERE.IS THERE ONE THAT MIGHT WORKBETTER?

PT "WHERE WE FINDHUMAN ERROR, WHETHER THAT'S INAVIATION, NUCLEAR POWER PLANTOPERATION, MEDICINE, WE FIND ANOPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE, BUTTHAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THECASE IN POLICING,"NEVADA CONGRESSMAN STEVENHORSFORD WILL HOST A BLACKCENS