*TRIGGER WARNING* THIS STORY CONTAINS A SMALL DETAIL OF GORE.
LET’S ESTABLISH SOMETHING UP FRONT: THIS DUMPSTER FIRE OF A SITUATION TOOK PLACE ACROSS MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS, ALL OF WHICH ARE ALLEGEDLY CAPABLE OF SHARING INFO—NAMES, DOBS, PLATES, VEHICLES, BAD DECISIONS—THROUGH A SINGLE CAD SYSTEM.
KEY WORD: CAPABLE.
ACTUAL USAGE? NON-EXISTENT. LIKE MY WILL TO LIVE AFTER NIGHT SHIFT.
THIS INCIDENT BEGAN DURING SUPER BOWL SUNDAY—BECAUSE WHY NOT—AND DIDN’T WRAP UP UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY. BECAUSE CLEARLY, NOTHING SCREAMS “NATIONAL HOLIDAY” LIKE A SLOW-BURN DISPATCH NIGHTMARE.
COMMUNICATIONS CENTER #1 RECEIVED A CALL AROUND 0730 HOURS THE DAY AFTER SUPERBOWL SUNDAY, OF A MISSING ELDERLY MALE WHO NEVER MADE IT TO HIS DESTINATION. THE CALLER, AN ELDERLY WOMAN WHO REPORTED THE ELDERLY MALE never arrived at her residence between the kick-off and the postgame meltdown.
AS THE ONE WHO ANSWERED THE CALL, I DID WHAT WE’RE ACTUALLY PAID TO DO — GATHERED ALL THE GOOD STUFF: NAME, DOB, TYPICAL GRANDPA ATTIRE, VEHICLE DESCRIPTION, LIKELY TRAVEL ROUTE, POINT A TO B, CONTACT NUMBER — BASICALLY EVERYTHING SHORT OF THE MAN’S LAST BOWEL MOVEMENT. THEN I PUSHED IT THROUGH AS AN OVERDUE MOTORIST.
a quick pause for something that is frustrating across all agency’s comm centers:
IF YOUR CAD SYSTEM HAS THE CAPABILITY OF ADDING ALL THE SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM AN NCIC QUERY, YOU, AS A DISPATCHER/CALL-TAKER, SHOULD BE ADDING THAT INFORMATION INTO THE “PERSONS” FIELDS OF YOUR CALLS FOR SERVICE. I WILL DIE ON THAT HILL IF YOU SAY OTHERWISE and haunt your cad notes.
moving on.
IT WAS NOT CLEAR YET, IF THIS PERSON WAS MISSING, STAYED AT HOME, GOT LOST ON THEIR TRAVELS, OR MET A SEPARATE FATE. THE REPORTING PARTY DEFINITELY MADE IT CLEAR THOUGH, THAT THEY DID NOT WANT TO MAKE A MISSING PERSONS REPORT. WE WILL EXPLAIN THE MOST LIKELY REASON WHY SHE CHOSE NOT TO MAKE THAT REPORT.
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE 3RD AND 4TH ENERGY DRINK — BECAUSE TIME IN DISPATCH IS MEASURED IN CAFFEINE DOSES, NOT MINUTES — COMM CENTER #1 GETS A NEW CALL. THIS TIME IT’S NOT THE SCREAMING FAMILY MEMBER OR THE “MY NEIGHBOR’S SPRINKLERS ARE TOO LOUD” GUY. NOPE. IT’S THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, A.K.A. THE FOLKS WHO KEEP THE ROADS DRIVABLE AND OCCASIONALLY DOUBLE AS UNWILLING CRIME SCENE DISCOVERERS.
AND WOULDN’T YOU KNOW IT? THE SAME OPERATOR WHO HANDLED THE TARDY ELDERLY MALE CALL EARLIER IS THE LUCKY WINNER TO ANSWER THIS ONE TOO. OUR PEDI-CUReIOUS, SOLE-WITNESS FRIENDS WHO CALLED STATED THEY’VE “FOUND A FOOT” (THEIR WORDS, NOT MINE) ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. NATURALLY, A FOUND BODY PART GETS YOU A FASTER LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE THAN “OVERDUE MOTORIST” — IT’S MORBID MATH, BUT MATH ALL THE SAME. FOR EXAMPLE: LIMB > LATE ARRIVAL = HIGHER PRIORITY.
CAD NOTE: IN THE CENTERS THAT I MENTIONED, THERE IS NO SEPARATION OF CALL-TAKER/DISPATCHER. THEY HANDLE BOTH INCOMING CALLS AND DISPATCH RESPONSIBILITIES. AND THAT i JUST HAPPENED TO BE THE VICTIM WHO ANSWERED BOTH OF THESE CALLS. THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY FOR ENSURING THAT THESE CALLS WERE DISPATCHED, SAT RIGHT NEXT TO ME. AND IS PROBABLY READING THIS STORY JUDGING MY NARRATION OF EVENTS. YOU HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO CORRECT IT JESSICA.
WHILE MY COLLEAGUE SAT NEXT TO ME, DISPATCHING HER LITTLE DISPATCHER HEART OUT, I SLIPPED INTO “UNOFFICIAL DISPATCH INVESTIGATIONS” MODE. THAT’S RIGHT — TIME TO PLAY ARMCHAIR DETECTIVE WITH CAD AS MY CRIME LAB.
I STARTED PLUGGING IN EVERYTHING I HAD FROM THE ELDERLY FEMALE ABOUT HER “FRIEND” WHO NEVER MADE IT TO HER PLACE, PLUS THE BARE-BONES INFO FROM THE HIGHWAY WORKERS.
AS I’M RESEARCHING, I GLANCE OVER AT MY COWORKER AND JOKE, “I BET THIS IS YOUR MISSING MOTORIST.” SHE SMIRKS BUT KEEPS DOING HER THING. THEN I START CONNECTING THE DOTS — DIGGING THROUGH PREVIOUS SHIFT EVENTS IN OUR CENTER, THEN WIDENING THE SEARCH TO THE OTHER CENTERS ON OUR CAD NETWORK. IF IT’S SEARCHABLE, I’M SEARCHING IT.
CAD NOTE: AND YES, I WAS THAT BORED.
RESULT? MINIMAL AT BEST.
CAD NOTE: WHILE CONTINUING INDIVIDUAL DISPATCH DUTIES, JESSICA AND I BECAME MUTUALLY ENGAGED IN LOCATING POSSIBLE MISSING MOTORIST. DISCUSSION ENSUED REGARDING “BIOLOGICAL SPECIMEN” LOCATED ROADSIDE. WORKING THEORIES INCLUDE: (1) SERIAL DISMEMBERER TROPHY; (2) DISCARDED ITEM FROM SUBJECT W/ KNOWN FOOT FETISH. SITUATION REMAINS UNRESOLVED; CURIOSITY LEVEL = HIGH, PROFESSIONALISM = TECHNICALLY MAINTAINED.
AN OFFICER FINALLY ARRIVED TO COLLECT THE EVIDENCE—A “SPECIMEN” DISCOVERED BY OUR STOMACH-OF-STEEL HIGHWAY WORKERS. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE COLORFUL CONVERSATIONS THAT TOOK PLACE WHEN THEY FOUND THE FOOT.
CAD NOTE: IF THEY DIDN’T MAKE AT LEAST THREE BAD PUNS, I’LL BE DISAPPOINTED..
DURING THE PERIOD OF OUR OFFICER ARRIVING ON THE SCENE AND SHAKING FEET HANDS WITH THE HIGHWAY MEN, COMMUNICATIONS CENTER #2 STEPS IN WITH ENTERING A CALL-FOR-SERVICE OF A MISSING PERSON. THE REPORTING PARTY IN THIS CASE, ANOTHER ELDERLY FEMALE, WANTING TO REPORT HER HUSBAND MISSING. PROVIDING THE SAME NAME, DOB, VEHICLE DESCRIPTION, AND THE LAST CLOTHING DESCRIPTION IN THE NARRATIVE OF THE CALL. THIS CALL, PRIMARILY BEING HANDLED BY THAT CENTER, HAD ALSO BEEN COPIED OVER TO SURROUNDING AREAS AS A BE ON THE LOOKOUT (BOLO).
I AM SURE BY NOW YOU HAVE GUESSED, THE CALL THAT COMM CENTER #2 ENTERED, IS THE SAME OVERDUE MOTORIST CALL I HAD ENTERED. YOU ALSO MAY HAVE FIGURED OUT, THE FIRST ELDERLY FEMALE MAKING THE OVERDUE MOTORIST REPORT, IS OUR SOLE-LOSING MALES MISTRESS AND UNDERSTAND WHY SHE DIDN’T WANT TO MAKE A “MISSING PERSONS” REPORT. LUCKILY, BOTH CENTERS HAD SO MUCH IDENTIFYING INFORMATION IN THEIR CALL NARRATIVES, I WAS ABLE TO ENTER IN ALL THE INFORMATION INTO THE PERSONS FIELD OF THE CAD CARD. AND A NEW SEARCH BEGINS……
AS TIME SLIPPED AWAY IN MY HEAD, I MOVED AWAY FROM DOING SUPPLEMENTAL SEARCHES AND BEGAN SEARCHING FOR EVENTS WITH NARRATIVE KEYWORDS. KEYWORDS INCLUDING VEHICLE DESCRIPTIONS, NAMES, DOB’S, etc. NOT MISSING BODY PARTS OF COURSE, BECAUSE THEY DON’T TEACH THAT AS PART OF YOUR OFFICIAL COURSE “NO, THAT’S NOT AN EMERGENCY.”
AS THE SEARCH CONTINUED, I FINALLY GATHERED WITH SUBSTANTIAL AND UPHOLDING PROOF THAT…THE FOOT, THE MISSING ELDERLY MALE CALL, AND THE OVERDUE MOTORIST CALL WERE ALL THE SAME PERSON. BUT HOW? YOU WONDER.
AFTER SEARCHING EVENTS IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS, I FOUND A CALL HANDLED BY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER #2 THE NIGHT BEFORE. THE ONLY ENTRY IN THE “PERSONS” SECTION WAS AN OPERATOR LICENSE NUMBER—BASICALLY A DRIVER’S LICENSE NUMBER, FOR THOSE NOT FLUENT IN BUREAUCRATIC JARGON.
I RAN THE NAME AND DOB THROUGH NCIC, WHICH CONFIRMED A MATCH FROM THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. DOUBLE-CHECKING THE OVERDUE MOTORIST’S NAME AND DATE OF BIRTH AGAIN, I CONFIRMED THEY MATCHED THE SUBJECT FROM COMM CENTER #2’S INCIDENT THE NIGHT PRIOR WITH THE OLN THEY HAD.
AS IT TURNED OUT, THE INCIDENT COMM CENTER #2 HAD DISPATCHED THE NIGHT BEFORE WAS FOR A MALE SUBJECT WHO’D BEEN HIT BY A VEHICLE AND KILLED ON IMPACT.
OUR OFFICER FROM COMM CENTER #1—WHO JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE THE LUCKY ONE SENT TO COLLECT THE “FOOT”—TOLD OUR WONDERFUL JESSICA THAT HE’D BEEN DISPATCHED TO THE VEHICLE-VS-PEDESTRIAN CRASH THE NIGHT BEFORE. YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF HELPFUL LITTLE DETAIL THAT COULD’VE SAVED US YEARS OF CARPAL TUNNEL-FREE LIVING FROM ALL THE DAMN TYPING.
HE HAD BEEN ONE OF THE ON-CALL CRASH RECONSTRUCTIONISTS SENT TO THE MIDDLE OF F#&%ING NOWHERE TO WORK ON A FATAL CRASH REPORT.
FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ELDERLY MALE’S TRUCK BROKE DOWN ON HIS WAY TO MEET HIS MISTRESS – WHO PROBABLY LIKED PUTTING HER FEET BETWEEN HIS. aS GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE IN THE DARK OF THE DESERT, EITHER ATTEMPTING TO DIAGNOSE, REPAIR, OR JUST PLACE THE HOOD UP AND WAIT FOR A TOE TOW, HE WAS STRUCK BY A SEMI. PROBABLY GOING AT A SHATTERING SPEED SINCE IT WAS A RURAL AREA AND SPEED LIMITS DON’T EXIST ON LONG STRAIGHT STRETCHES OF ROAD.
MORAL OF THE STORY: SOMETIMES HAVING ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE ISN’T JUST A FIGURE OF SPEECH… IT’S A ROADSIDE HAZARD. AND IF NO ONE BOTHERS TO TELL DISPATCH WHAT HAPPENED, WE’RE THE ONES LEFT TRYING TO SORT IT OUT LIKE IT’S LOST PROPERTY.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN: EVER HAD A CALL THAT MADE YOU STOP AND THINK, “WELL… THAT’S A NEW ONE”? DROP IT IN THE COMMENTS. DON’T WORRY—WE’RE NOT HERE TO SNITCH. WE’RE HERE TO LAUGH SO WE DON’T CRY. OR USE THE LINK AT THE BOTTOM. AND IF YOU WANT MORE STORIES, JUST SCROLL PAST THE COMMENTS; YOU WON’T REGRET IT.
