Mayor's Message by Craig A. Stough
February 2, 2022
“Police Dispatching Update”
(read the last Mayor's Message)
Beginning last October, the City of Sylvania closed its police dispatching center and joined the centralized Lucas County Dispatching Center. This was required by State of Ohio efforts to consolidate police dispatching all around the State.
City of Sylvania Mayor,
Craig A. Stough
To date, the results have been mixed. Although most calls are being answered promptly, there have been a few reports of slower response due to heavy call volume elsewhere in Lucas County. City Administration continues to work with county operators to continue to improve the dispatching functions for our citizens.
As with any change, adjustments need to be made for continued improvement.
The change has also reduced the hours the Sylvania Police Station is open. Three dispatchers who are well trained in Sylvania Police operations have chosen to stay on as our records clerks. We are able to have an open lobby from 8a to 8p M-F, except holidays, for residents to come into the police station.
In the event we are closed, inside the main entrance to the police station lobby is a call button that will put the person in direct contact with a call taker at the consolidated dispatch. The vestibule at the main entrance to the station has seen some recent upgrades with new handicap accessible doors and a seating area where people can wait for an officer. The phone in our lobby vestibule rings directly into the Lucas County 911 Dispatch Center.
The old dispatch center will be receiving a make-over with new work stations designed to be a better fit for the records division. The civilian clerks have taken over several clerical duties that were previously managed by sworn personnel, freeing up time for those personnel to put more attention back to law enforcement duties.
We will be closely monitoring both the responsiveness of Lucas County 911 Dispatching and our ability to provide service to our residents during our new hours. Look for an update on this in future messages.
Additional Resources:
See related story on 13abc "Dispatch Mix-up"
www.13abc.com/2022/02/14/dispatch-mix-up
Visit the City of Sylvania official website:
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