Today my office released an audit of Berkeley’s 911 Communications Center. We found that the City spent nearly $1 million in overtime to staff the Communications Center in 2017 to make up for continuing vacancies and under-budgeted dispatcher positions. Without sufficient staff, it is taking longer for dispatchers to answer 911 calls. Understaffing and subsequent excessive overtime needed to maintain dispatch services have taken a toll on the morale of dispatchers. Dispatchers have little to no time in their workday to complete ongoing training requirements, build a healthy workplace culture, and access stress management resources.
The Police Department agreed with our recommendations. The Department plans to conduct a staffing analysis, improve recruitment and retention efforts, and create a comprehensive stress management program for dispatchers.