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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 07221997 - C77 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IDC - Contra ,^ -�; c FROM: Costa INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE ^` County DATE: July 22, 1997c�Uµ SUBJECT: PROPOSED RESPONSE TO REPORT NO. 9707 OF THE 1996-1997 GRAND JURY SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1 . Adopt this report of our Committee as the Board of Supervisors ' response to 1996-1997 Grand Jury Report No. 9707 : "Sheriff 's Dispatch Center. " 2 . Remove this item as a referral to our Committee. BACKGROUND: The 1996-1997 Grand Jury filed the above report, which was reviewed by the Board of Supervisors and subsequently referred to the Internal Operations Committee. On July 15, 1997 our Committee met to discuss the recommendations and review proposed responses . At the conclusion of those discussions, we prepared this report which clearly specifies : A. Whether the recommendation is accepted or adopted; B. If the recommendation is accepted, a statement as to who will be responsible for implementation and a definite target date; C. A delineation of the constraints if a recommendation is accepted but cannot be implemented within the calendar year; and D. The reason for not adopting a recommendation. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR -RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): I��`"" IM ROGERS DONNA ER 19 27 ACTION OF BOARD ON oa. `i APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS _Z•/ I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Dean Lucas 335-1077 ATTESTED Contact: Internal Operations Committee PHIL EWTCHELG,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF cc: County Administrator SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Superior Court Presiding Judge r Grand Jury Foreperson County Counsel BY DEPUTY Sheriff-Coroner "SHERIFF' S DISPATCH CENTER" REPORT NO. 9707 The 1996-97 Contra Costa County Grand Jury recommends that the Sheriff : RECOMMENDATION A: Improve the recruitment and training management capabilities of the Dispatch Center. RESPONSE: A. This recommendation is accepted. B. A concerted effort underway by the Sheriff ' s Department in collaboration with the Human Resources Department has both increased the number of dispatcher positions and reduced the time that positions remain vacant. RECOMMENDATION B: Prepare a long-term plan for hiring and training of dispatchers. RESPONSE: A. This recommendation is accepted.- B. A plan has been developed to reach the required dispatcher staffing level and to maintain adequate replacements in the future. The Human Resources Department provides continuous testing for dispatcher candidates so that the Sheriff ' s Department now has potential dispatchers in various stages of the testing process . In addition, the Sheriff ' s Department has begun intensive recruiting of lateral or experienced dispatchers who have a much shorter hiring and training period. As a result of the intensive efforts to get new dispatchers hired and trained, five new lateral dispatchers have been hired in the past six months . The Board encourages the Sheriff to look at a wide scope of mechanisms to improve the quality of the workplace and increase retention of qualified dispatchers . RECOMMENDATION C: Provide a copy of the plan to the Human Resources Department and coordinate the hiring process to ensure that sufficient qualified candidates are available to fill projected dispatcher training classes. RESPONSE: A. This recommendation is accepted. B. Coordination between the Sheriff 's Department and the Human Resources Department of the hiring process is in place. The Sheriff is requested to provide a time line and target date by which the vacant dispatcher positions will be filled. RECOMMENDATION D: Modify the shift assignment procedure to allow junior staff rotation from the least desirable shifts. RESPONSE: A. This recommendation is not accepted. B. Dispatcher staff is represented by the Deputy Sheriffs ' Association who negotiated the current assignment procedures with the Board of Supervisors on behalf of the Association' s members . RECOMMENDATION E: Reevaluate the contracts with Rio Vista, Pittsburg, Moraga, and Clayton to determine whether the burden of these additional dispatch services is justified by the additional revenue produced. RESPONSE: A. This recommendation is accepted. B. The Sheriff has reevaluated the dispatch contracts and we concur with the Sheriff 's conclusion that elimination of the contracts with Rio Vista, Pittsburg, Moraga and Clayton will not alleviate the staffing problems . OFFICE OF THE SHERIFF Contra Costa County Administration Division 335-1510 Date: June 30, 1997 To: Honorable Peter Spi etta, Presi ing Judge Attention: Honorab e Barbara ga,Judge, Contra Costa County Superior Court From: Warren E. Ru if, Subject: Grand Jury Report#9707 Penal Code Section 933 requires the Office of the Sheriff to comment on the findings and recommendations of Grand Jury Reports. Attached hereto you will find that response. Although in some respects I may disagree with the Grand Jury's findings or recommendations, I support,without qualification,the Grand Jury's inspection of how we conduct our business. Their scrutiny is a necessary test of government activities. Should you need any further information,please let me know. WER:mjf cc: Mr. Phil Batchelor, County Administrator Attention: Claude Van Marter,Assistant County Administrator Mr. Ramiro Arosemena, Grand Jury Foreman CONTRA COSTA COUNTY RECEIVED JUL 0 3 1997 OFFICE OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR The following is the Sheriff's Office response to Grand Jury Report#9707. The Grand Jury report contained only partial information regarding the background which created the problems and the progress that has been made in correcting them. This response is intended to expand on the missing information and address the changes that have already occurred. FINDINGS Finding No. 1 Since January 1991 the number of available dispatchers never has met the Sheriffs Department staffing requirements. For example, between August 1996 and January 1997, there was an average of 20 dispatchers available, while the center required 48. Response No. 1 In 1992, due to fiscal problems in the County, the Board of Supervisors reduced the number of authorized dispatcher positions by 10 from 46 to 36. The dispatcher job in this agency, as well as other law enforcement agencies, is one which has always had a large turnover. This requires the constant hiring and training of dispatchers. When 46 positions were authorized,the Sheriff's Office could reasonably plan for vacancies through continuous hiring and training. When the number was reduced to 36, there were no vacancies which permitted hiring and testing under the Personnel Regulations. Not until the number fell below the authorized 36, could the Sheriff's Office begin testing. Following the 1992 reduction in authorized positions, several events occurred which exacerbated the situation. First, one class of six entry-level dispatchers all failed to meet standards or left voluntarily. Typically, about half of the new dispatchers hired can be expected to successfully complete all phases of training, and the loss of all six trainees was unexpected. Second, the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training(POST),which sets standards in California for police dispatchers, was late in producing a new test which was mandated for entry level dispatchers. This delayed the testing process for a significant period. Third,•there was an increase in the number of work related injury claims which reduced the number of dispatchers available. In an effort to correct the under staffing, the County added two dispatcher positions which were considered provisional and were intended to be filled by dispatchers in the training process. This was still inadequate to handle the number of dispatchers who are in training,which is typically six or more. In 1996,the Board of Supervisors recognized the critical staffing problem in the dispatch center and added another 10 dispatcher positions. At that point,the very slow process of restoring the positions lost in 1992 began. 2 Finding The process of hiring new dispatchers is complicated and has taken up to a year to complete. The process includes advertising the position,processing applications,scheduling and administering an examination, grading and ranking the examination results, documenting typing skills, conducting(several) oral interviews, conducting psychological interviews and establishing final ranking for selection. Parts of this process are carried out by the Sheriffs Department and other parts by the Human Relations Department. The hiring process must start several months prior to a training class to ensure a full class. Response No. 2 The hiring process for new dispatchers is a very lengthy and complicated process. A large part of the process is handled by the staff of the dispatch center because the Human Resources Department lacks the staffing and expertise related to dispatch tasks to provide the testing as needed. This has been an onerous task for the dispatch staff which was already understaffed. The same employees who are charged with the responsibility of the testing process are also filling overtime positions in the dispatch center just to ensure minimum coverage of the telephones and radio channels. Regular testing does not ensure a full training class. There are very few individuals who successfully complete all phases of the screening process. Starting with several hundred applicants in the first testing phase may,under the best of circumstances,yield six to eight acceptable candidates at the conclusion of the entire screening process. Finding No. 3 The Dispatch Center started one training class of nine in October 1996 and another of five in January 1997. No longterm plan is in place to reach the required staffing level Response No. 3 There is a plan to reach the required staffing level for dispatchers. The Human Resources Department has changed the dispatch positions to continuous testing. This means that the Sheriff s Office does not have to complete the processing of one group of applicants before the testing begins on the next group. This has increased the frequency of testing. Tests are now regularly scheduled three times per year. If three classes of six entry level dispatchers are started each year, we can expect to gain nine new dispatchers per year(assuming a 50%success rate in completion of training)after completion of the nine month training program. The Sheriff s Office has also begun intensive recruiting_of lateral or experienced dispatchers who 3 have a much shorter hiring and training period. As a result of the intensive efforts to get new dispatchers hired and trained, five new lateral dispatchers have been hired in the past six months. Currently there are 15 vacancies in the dispatch series compared to 23 vacancies last August after the 10 new positions were added. Within the next year,the number of vacancies is expected to drop to approximately six as the efforts to test and train dispatchers continues. Finding No. 4 The size of a training class is limited to eight positions by the available facilities unless other capabilities are curtailed. Response No. 4 The number of trainees that can be processed is limited by both the size of the facilities and the number of staff available to provide training. During the planned remodel of the facility, the area for providing practical training to the dispatchers will be increased to accommodate more staff. However, there is no plan to build the classroom which is being lost in the remodel. This will continue to hamper the number of dispatchers which can be trained in each class. Additional dispatchers would also have to be added to the training staff before the class size could be increased. Finding No, S Dispatchers have to work high levels of mandatory and often unscheduled overtime Response No. 5 During the past year,the dispatcher staffing fell to a point that the amount of overtime required was very high. However,the more disruptive aspect of the overtime was that it was largely unscheduled, causing disruptions to the dispatchers' personal lives. In October 1996, the dispatchers began working 4 day, 12 hour shifts. This resulted in 8 hours of mandatory overtime for each dispatcher every week. This reduced unscheduled overtime to a minimum and allowed dispatchers 3 consecutive days off. With the addition of the dispatchers who have been hired and trained during the past nine months,the staff will abandon the 12 hour shifts beginning in July. At that point most of the overtime should be worked by voluntary sign up rather than being forced or unscheduled. Findine Na. 6 The Dispatch Center suffers from excessive attrition of personnel and complaints of low moral Response No. 6 There is a large amount of turnover among dispatchers as a profession. The turnover experienced by the.Sheriff's Office is not unusual compared to other law enforcement agencies. The turnover 4 is to be expected in a job classification which offers no relief from shift work and has very little in the way of a career ladder to offer. Dispatchers tend to be young women who experience conflicting family needs at some point in their careers and who leave the profession to accommodate their changing needs. The low morale can be largely attributed to the under staffing, long hours and dated working environment. This is being addressed through the hiring and training of the additional dispatcher positions approved in 1996,the replacement of the old dispatch equipment and a partial remodel of the dispatch facility. Finding No. 7 Shift assignments are selected solely by seniority. Junior people are left the least desirable night and weekend shifts. Alameda County and some other nearby Dispatch Centers use a modified seniority shift preference selection system that allows junior dispatchers periodic rotation to more desirable shifts. Response No. 7 Shift assignment by seniority occurs as a result of the Memorandum of Understanding between the County and the Deputy Sheriffs Association, which represents the dispatchers. Because this is governed by contract and is at the request of the employees, no other form of shift sign up is contemplated. Finding No. 8 In addition to its primary mission, the Dispatch Center provides communications services on a contract basis to the cities of Rio Vista,Pittsburg,Moraga and Clayton,to the Housing Authority, AC Transit Police (in Contra Costa County) and Animal Control. These additional responsibilities provide revenue but increase the responsibilities of each dispatcher and increase the training requirements of every dispatcher. The manpower and equipment requirements to provide these services have not been determined Response No. 8 The number of posts that must be filled by dispatchers is not affected by the outside contracts for dispatch services except that on Sundays, dispatchers fill an additional post to provide services for Animal Control. Traffic for the other contracts is provided at existing posts.. While these contracts create additional activity at the existing posts, discontinuing these contracts would not reduce the number of dispatchers needed to man the posts. During the busiest hours,the contracts can add to the stress level of the dispatchers. During other hours, providing service to the contracts helps maintain the activity level so that dispatchers are not bored. Rather than eliminate the contracts,which would reduce badly needed revenue to the County without 5 reducing the staffing needs,the Sheriff s Office plans to implement shift scheduling which is geared to match staffing to the activity level. This scheduling is expected to be in place in October, 1997. Equipment needs are not affected by the contracts. The users contribute 10% of the contract cost to an equipment replacement fund which helps to reduce the burden of equipment replacement on the County. Finding No. 9 The Dispatch Center has struggled to function despite the continuous under staffing and high overtime workload Response No.9 The dispatch center has remained functional despite the heavy demand on the staff. No incident of failure to answer an emergency call or incident involving officer safety has been brought to the attention of the Sheriff's Office. CONCLUSIONS Conclusion No. 1 The planning and management of recruitment and training for Dispatch Center personnel is inadequate. Response to Conclusion No. I There is no basis to conclude that the"planning and management of recruitment and training for Dispatch Center personnel is inadequate." The recent crisis in staffing was a direct result of the 10 dispatcher positions which were cut by the Board of Supervisors in 1992. The management staff is to be commended for its creative response to the staffing problems and the speed with which the staffing has been increased once the 10 dispatcher positions were restored. Conclusion No. 2 The coordination between the Sheriffs Dispatch Center and the Human Relations Department for hiring dispatchers is inadequate. Response to Conclusion No.2 Problems associated with the lack of coordination between the Sheriff's Office and the Human Resources Department have been addressed. As a result of several meetings between the two departments the following changes were implemented: 6 a. Continuous testing for experienced dispatchers. b. Expanded advertising and recruiting for experienced dispatchers. C. Regularly scheduled POST testing for entry level dispatchers. d. Continuously updated list of candidates who have passed the testing process. e. Highest priority to testing of dispatcher candidates. f. Assignment of a single person in Human Resources to handle dispatcher testing. As a result of these changes,there has been significant progress made in reducing the number of dispatcher vacancies. Conclusion No. 3 The level of overtime required of the dispatchers is unreasonable and contributes to lowered morale and increased attrition. Response to Conclusion No. 3 There is no question that the amount of overtime worked by dispatchers has been unreasonable and contributes to lowered morale and attrition. However,significant progress has been made in hiring and training the staff needed to reduce the overtime burden. The staff has been positive in its comments about the improved environment as a result of the efforts by the County to increase staffing, replace equipment and improve the facility. The overtime burden is expected to improve significantly in the next three months and to be fully resolved during the next year. Again,this problem was the direct result of the elimination of 10 dispatcher positions in 1992. A process for providing employee participation in decision making has also been implemented. Through the creation of a labor/management problem solving committee,the employees have an opportunity to offer creative solutions and be part of decisions which affect their working conditions. This has resulted in the implementation of many changes . that have helped to improve employee morale. Conclusion No. 4 The rigid "seniority only"shift assignment procedure contributes to high turnover and lowered morale among the junior staff. Response to Conclusion No. 4 The Sheriff's Office is amenable to discussing a shift assignment procedure which is based on factors in addition to seniority. However, it is bound by contract to honor the"seniority only" assignment procedure at this time. The employees must also, through their union, 7 indicate a willingness to accept a shift assignment procedure which is different from the one currently in practice. Conclusion No. S The Sheriffs Dispatch Center does not have the ability to properly handle the workload generated by other agencies while it is significantly understaffed, even though these contracts generate revenue. Response to Conclusion No. 5 The workload created by the outside dispatch contracts is an issue only during peak activity times. This will no longer be an issue in October when the Dispatch Center moves to a schedule which is staffed according to work demand. Eliminating the contracts will not reduce the number of staff needed to man each telephone and radio post in the Dispatch Center. RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation A Improve the recruitment and training management capabilities of the Dispatch Center. Response to Recommendation A The recruitment and training programs have already been improved to maximize the efficiency of getting new dispatchers trained and into the dispatch room. Recommendation B Prepare a long-term plan for hiring and training dispatchers. Response to Recommendation B A plan is already in place for the long-term hiring and training of dispatchers and significant progress has been made in reducing the dispatcher vacancies. ,Recommendation C Provide a copy of the plan to the Human Resources Department and coordinate the hiring process to ensure that sufficient qualified candidates are available to fill projected dispatcher training classes. 8 Response to Recommendation C The plan for improving the hiring process has been described above. Coordination between the Sheriff's Office and the Human Resources Department is already in place. Recommendation D Modify the shift assignment procedure to allow junior staff rotation from the least desirable shifts. Response to Recommendation D The County cannot modify the shift assignment process without the concurrence of the Deputy Sheriffs Association. Recommendation E Reevaluate the contracts with Rio Vista, Pittsburg, Moraga and Clayton to determine whether the burden of these additional dispatch services is justified by the additional revenue produced Response to Recommendation E Elimination of the dispatch contracts with Rio Vista,Pittsburg,Moraga and Clayton will not help alleviate the staffing problem. The movement is toward greater use of regional dispatch centers to maximize efficiency. Loss of the contracts would be a step backward from greater efficiency. 9