I want to state that I'm a 911 dispatcher for a county in Arkansas. I'm also currently at work and this just happened not even an hour again, so I'm sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors.
Important terminology:
•ACIC- Arkansas crime information center. Used for background information and running of individuals/vehicles/parts.
•Hit- We receive these on subjects/vehicles/parts that are wanted/stolen out of our jurisdiction where another agency has ran them in ACIC and saw our warrant.
•Hit Response- we send these back to the agency who has ran and inquired about our wanted/stolen subject/vehicle/part
•locate- sent on Hit Responses by the other agency that sent the Hit on subjects/vehicles/parts at are being extradited/held on their charges.
•hold- these are sent by my agency to the jails/evidence lockers on subjects/vehicles/parts that were located by other agencies. Those agencies will send us a Hit notifying us they have the subject/vehicle/part in custody and for what ever reason will be held on their charges. We will then send a hold from our agency if we also want this subject/vehicle/part after the other agency is through with them.
•extradite- any agency that will travel to pick up their subject/vehicle/part.
•Message- This is self explanatory. The ACIC system allows agencies to converse between one another even when not sending/recieving official Hits.
Ok, so on to what happened. Today, I'm working a position that not only works close with officers, takes and puts in 911 and communications calls, but also receives all the county Hits (we'll call it P3 for amnesty). This is the busiest station in my center, and the work reflects that.
I was working P3 and in the middle of an officer initiated traffic stop I received a Hit from another county in Arkansas. It was a typical misdemeanor warrant and I know we aren't accepting misdemeanor warrant subjects right now due to various reasons.
I sent the hit response advising the agency who sent the Hit that we were keeping this warrant active, that it's a misdemeanor warrant, and to NOT send a locate. If another agency sends a locate on a warrant it will purge out the ACIC system in 30 days if the warrant was not cleared by its original agency who entered it. You don't send locates on warrants that are being kept active. Or so I thought…
I went to ACIC class over 2 years ago amid covid to make sure I knew how to work the system and all the rules that goes along with the access of personal information(there is A LOT of personal information on ACIC. It shows us your whole criminal history and any previous address, names, vehicle registrations, etc). Everyone who has access to this system is required by law to attend this(these) class(es). When I went to these classes we were told NOT to send locates on anything unless the subject/vehicle/part UNLESS they were extradited or a hold was placed. These were the rules for during covid, and to my understanding would remain the rules so warrants wouldn't be purged from the system incase any agency would want that subject/vehicle/part at a later date, but not then.
Now, when I sent this Hit response I get a message back from this agency that per ACIC, locates are to be sent on everything. We'll, my prior knowledge told me otherwise. I knew that you weren't to send locates unless an extradition or hold had taken place. So I asked the room about it, and even texted my husband who works the same job, just for another agency, to see if my knowledge was correct.
I was thoroughly confused because I thought you didn't send a locate as previously stated above. So I said aloud that I should send a message to this agency advising them that per ACIC you're not to send a locate. My supervisor told me not to send anything. So I didn't, I thought about it, almost did, but didn't.
My supervisor (one a think shouldn't be a supervisor due to her inadequatness. Well call her H) came up to me not even 5 minutes later with a memo dated in mid May. Now, for importance I left from February-July, and just came back this month. I haven't read/had the chance to read any memos from the months I wasn't here. When H came up to me with that memo she said in a very condensing way, “Next time I tell you not to do something. I mean it. I advise you to read this memo very well. If you do anything I tell you not to do again, I'm going to write you up”
The memo stated that in mid May ACIC changed their policy that locates were to be sent on EVERYTHING. Well I didn't know that untill today. My knowledge on this, and even my husband's knowledge on this, was that locates were only sent on extradited and held subjects/vehicles/parts. Not on everything.
She said this in front of the whole shift very loudly. Mind you, I don't mind if someone has a problem with me. I'd prefer thought, if you bring any issues with me, to my face and in person. H didn't do this. She talked down to me like a child in front of the whole shift. I understand that I'm the youngest on my shift, but that doesn't warrant you speaking to me like a child. I'm an adult and will spoken to as such.
This is a (supposed) professional job. To act in a manner in which you're condensing, I don't receive that. I plan to address H with this when we get off tonight, and tell her if she speaks to me like a child again ill also write her up. I'm human, I make mistakes, that does not mean you get to treat and talk to me like a child. You may do that at home with your kids/grandkids, but I'm not them. You will not speak to me that way.
If possible, I'll update wall with the outcome of my chat with H later this evening.
Don't let people talk down to you for any reason. It's unacceptable and tacky.