Communications Division

Dispatch

Staffing

The Communications Section is staffed 24/7 by five full-time and two part-time civilian Dispatchers. Paradise Valley Police Dispatchers are the first of the first responders helping citizens.

Required Experience

When an opening occurs, the department seeks only those individuals with at least one year of previous public safety dispatching experience. This ensures that only highly qualified personnel are hired.

Dispatcher Responsibilities
Dispatchers are responsible for:

  • Answering E9-1-1 lines, non-emergency "Crime Stop" lines and, administrative telephone lines.
  • Monitoring incoming alarms for all Town residents whose alarm systems are linked to the police department through the Town’s alarm program
  • Dispatching and communicating with the on-duty officers while making entries into the department’s computer system
  • Utilizing various criminal justice databases for a variety of criminal justice information
  • Verifying the validity of arrest warrants and other court orders
  • Entering the stolen property into a nation-wide database
  • Querying via computerized links to the Phoenix Police Department, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles, as well as databases maintained by other states and the FBI
  • Receiving and sending messages to other local, State or federal law enforcement agencies via computer links

Additional Dispatcher Duties 

In addition to their primary role, each Dispatcher is assigned one or more ancillary support tasks. Examples of these include:

  • Entering traffic and parking citations into the computer system
  • Adding information from police reports to the department’s record management system
  • Entering wanted persons and stolen items into inter-agency records systems
  • Administering the various radio, telephony, and security systems
  • In-person assistance for police reporting in our lobby

What to expect when you call the Paradise Valley Police Department 

If you have a life-threatening emergency, dial 911. If your concern is not an emergency, call the "Crime Stop" non-emergency number 480-948-7410. If 911 is accidentally dialed, please remain on the line to advise the Dispatcher that it was accidental. Otherwise, the Dispatcher will have to call you back which can interrupt the process of other incoming emergencies. 

  • You will be asked to provide your address, name and a contact phone number
    • Have every family member learn their home address
    • Be aware of where you are when you are not at home
  • Be prepared to briefly describe the issue you are calling about and answer any questions
  • Be patient; at times the Dispatcher may be assisting others. However, your call is very important to us and will be handled as quickly as possible