Kansas City Missouri Police Department Call Prioritization Procedure 2017

KANSAS CITY MISSOURI POLICE DEPARTMENT PROCEDURAL INSTRUCTION DATE OF ISSUE EFFECTIVE DATE 07-26-2017 SUBJECT 07-26-2017 NO. 17-10 AMENDS Call Prioritization REFERENCE RESCINDS PI - Patrol Procedures I. PI 15-05 PURPOSE Due to the volume of calls requesting a police response, it is necessary to util...

KANSAS CITY MISSOURI POLICE DEPARTMENT PROCEDURAL INSTRUCTION DATE OF ISSUE EFFECTIVE DATE 07-26-2017 SUBJECT 07-26-2017 NO. 17-10 AMENDS Call Prioritization REFERENCE RESCINDS PI - Patrol Procedures I. PI 15-05 PURPOSE Due to the volume of calls requesting a police response, it is necessary to utilize a call screening method to more efficiently deploy police resources. The call prioritization system is designed to help provide sufficient patrol units to handle calls for service, particularly in emergency situations. This system will also provide officers more opportunities to problem solve and partner within the community. II. POLICY A. The department will provide police services which are appropriate to conditions. B. Dispatched Personnel C. 1. Dispatched personnel will have the discretion upon responding to a call to utilize an alternative method to handle the call as outlined in this directive. 2. Officers will always have the discretion to request an assisting officer(s) if they believe the situation dictates the need for additional officers. Field Supervisors Field supervisors are responsible for the efficient utilization of patrol resources. A field supervisor may amend or discontinue the dispatching of police officers to an incident if that supervisor determines sending an officer on the call as dispatched would be an unnecessary use of patrol resources. The field supervisor will be responsible for informing the citizen of the decision not to have an officer respond. D. Communications Unit Personnel 1. Communications Unit personnel will have the authority and responsibility to determine the processing methods for the various calls for service consistent with the guidelines of this directive. All of the call priorities can be either upgraded or downgraded, depending on the situation. *III. 2. Calls for service will not be dispatched from patrol division stations, except during emergency situations. All calls must be forwarded to the Communications Unit for dispatching. *3. In order to better serve the community, all priority 1 and 2 calls will be dispatched by closest divisional car, when practical. Sector integrity will not be a consideration when dispatching these calls. Priority 5 calls should be held until an officer responsible for that sector is able to respond to the call. If an officer is not available to answer a call within their sector in an allotted time (four hours), that call will be dispatched to other officers for handling. DEFINITIONS A. Priority 0 - This priority is for Assist the Officer only and will be dispatched immediately. B. Priority 1 – This priority is for calls that present extreme danger to human life, known danger to human life, or potential danger to human life. (e.g., shootings, rape in progress, armed robbery just occurred.) C. Priority 2 – This priority is for calls where the potential for danger/injuries to occur exists, but has not yet happened. (e.g., prowlers, bomb threats, disturbances, domestic violence assaults.) D. Priority 3 – This priority is for calls which are non-life threatening but require a timely police response. (e.g., check the welfare, 911 hang-up calls, holding a person for shoplifting.) E. Priority 4 - This priority is for calls in which a reasonable police response will not detract from the quality of police service. Priority 4 calls do not present any immediate danger to human life. (e.g., residential and non-residential burglaries, car prowlers, stealing that just occurred, intrusion alarms, non-injury accidents, suspicious activities.) Priority 4 calls will be dispatched when a division officer becomes available. F. Priority 5 – This priority is for calls in which a delayed response of police to the scene of the incident will not detract from the quality of investigation or service to the person or is a report classification code. (e.g., noise disturbances, non-domestic violence assaults with no suspects present and no injuries to the victim.) Priority 5 calls should be dispatched when officers from that division become available. These calls generally should not be dispatched outside of division boundaries. G. Priority 6 – This priority is for self-initiated activity. dispatching purposes. -2- Not used for H. Priority 7 – This priority is for administrative activity. dispatching purposes. I. Priority 8 – This priority is for walk-in reports. Not used for dispatching purposes. J. Priority 9 – This priority is for alternative handling (advised calls). Alternative Handling (advised calls) - A call in which the absence of police at the scene of the incident will not detract from the quality of investigation or service to the person. Calls which do not specifically meet “Alternative Handling” requirements will be dispatched according to the established priority level for that call classification. Alternative handling may include: a referral to a patrol division or other appropriate agency, telephone reports, or handling by a calltaker without initiating a police response (i.e., no response). The following calls may be handled with an alternative method if there are no injuries, no investigation is required, and/or no suspects are present: 1. Stealing (Larceny) 2. Property Damage 3. Non-Injury Vehicular Not used for a. Vehicles are drivable b. No intoxicated drivers are involved c. No third-party caller d. Drivers produce license and insurance information 4. Forgery 5. Fraud or Attempted Fraud 6. Non-Aggravated Assault (Does not include D.V., or assaults inprogress/just occurred, or where suspect information is available. Suspect information is defined as specific information that can help to identify the suspect, e.g., name, address, license number, etc.) 7. Supplement to an original report 8. Harassment/Threats 9. Stolen Autos -3- IV. 10. Robberies (reported after 4 hours) 11. Identity Theft PROCEDURE This directive has been arranged in annexes for easy reference. ANNEX A Call Processing ANNEX B Recall of Personnel David B. Zimmerman Chief of Police Adopted by the Board of Police Commissioners this ____day of______________, 2017. Leland Shurin Board President DISTRIBUTION: All Department Personnel Public View Master Index - Internet Department Master Index - Intranet Policy Acknowledgement SyStem (PASS) -4- ANNEX A CALL PROCESSING *Ten alternatives are available to Communications Unit personnel for processing calls for service, based upon the availability of personnel: A. Priority 1 These calls will be dispatched immediately and officers will be dispatched code one based on the closest divisional units, not sector assignments. B. Priority 2 An attempt to dispatch will be made within 2 minutes and officers will be dispatched code one, if the call is "in progress," based on the closest divisional units, not sector assignments. C. Priority 3 An attempt to dispatch will be made within 5 minutes. These calls will be dispatched only by event type. Details will not be broadcast unless there is suspect information. D. Priority 4 These calls may be delayed by the dispatcher, but will be dispatched as soon as a police officer within the division of the call address becomes available. The on-duty Communications Unit Supervisor will determine if calls within this classification will be dispatched outside patrol division boundaries. These calls will be dispatched only by event type. Details will not be broadcast unless there is suspect information. E. Priority 5 These calls will be dispatched when a police officer, responsible for the call within his/her respective sector, becomes available. Every attempt will be made to dispatch these calls within a four hour time period. For calls meeting the delayed response criteria, the calltaker will advise the caller that a delay of up to four hours is possible. If necessary, the dispatcher will attempt to re-contact the caller and inform them of a longer delay. However, if an officer is not available to answer a call within his/her sector in the allotted time, that call will be dispatched to other sectors for handling. These calls will be dispatched only by event type. Details will not be broadcast unless there is suspect information. F. Priority 6, 7 and 8 are not used for dispatching purposes. A-1 G. Priority 9 An alternative handling call (advised call) may be processed in one of four ways: 1. Referral to a Patrol Division There are calls in which a person may be required to respond to a patrol division to make a report. These calls are outlined in Section III, F, and the calltaker will advise the caller of this alternative procedure. 2. Referral to Another Agency Communications Unit personnel will refer callers requesting non-police service to the appropriate agency. 3. Phone-In Report There are calls in which a person may be required to telephone a patrol division to make a phone-in report. The calltaker will advise the caller of this alternative procedure. 4. Informational Broadcast When appropriate, Communications Unit personnel will initiate informational broadcasts to field personnel, (e.g., traffic violator information, suspicious car and occupants gone, or residence checks made by bondsmen). A-2 ANNEX B RECALL OF PERSONNEL Call prioritization allows structured alternative patrol strategies while maintaining the capability for timely response to calls for service. It is expected that occasionally an unforeseen call for service demand may seriously reduce police response capability. Therefore, it is important that there is continuous supervisory monitoring by field and Communications Unit personnel. When necessary, personnel should be recalled from strategic assignments (surveillance, target area and proactive assignments) to handle calls for service. A. The Communications Unit Supervisor will have the responsibility to contact the Assistant Division Commander or their designee and request that officers on alternative activities be made available to calls for service. B. Field commanders and supervisors will retain the responsibility and authority to determine the priority in which personnel involved in alternative activities will be subject to being recalled and assigned to handle calls for service. B-1