The Communications Unit is the central hub for the Hazelwood Police Department. It operates 24/7/365 and is comprised of Telecommunicators, or Dispatchers, that operate the Department's 911 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and radio communications system. The Unit handles an average of 150,000 calls a year. Dispatchers are the first, and sometimes only, contact the public will ever have with the Police Department.
Certified & Trained
Each of the 7 full-time and 4 part-time Telecommunicators is certified through the Missouri Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) program and perform a variety of functions necessary to coordinate routine and emergency operations. Each member of the Unit receives additional training to recognize when callers are in distress and assist subjects with distinctive needs such as the elderly, subjects with mental health or substance abuse problems, juveniles, suicidal callers, and operating the telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD/TTY).
Additional Responsibilities
The Communications Unit is also responsible for assisting subjects in the Police Department lobby and is available to provide information and assistance to citizens in person or by phone 24 hours a day.