Erie County Central Police Services, partners to host domestic violence training course for 911 call-takers

First time training has been offered in EC; EC Office for Public Advocacy, Town of Cheektowaga PD join ECCPS in collaborative effort

The Erie County Department of Central Police Services, in collaboration with the Office of Public Advocacy and the Town of Cheektowaga Police Department, will host a domestic violence training course for call-takers and dispatchers from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 18, and Thursday, June 20. This is the first time this training has been conducted in Erie County.

“We are glad to be able to offer this training, which will help call-takers assess what is happening on the other end of the phone and then take appropriate steps to get help on the way and better protect the safety of all involved, both the caller and the responders to the scene,” said Commissioner of Central Police Services James Jancewicz. “Over the two days, the program should train approximately 70 individuals on the best practices of handling 911 complaints related to domestic violence matters.”

911 dispatchers will receive training in how to protect responders to the scene and also spot red flags from callers. Some of the topics covered will be stalking, abusive relationships, essentials of courtroom testimony, and cultural/religious differences. The class will provide dispatchers with new tactics for handling these often volatile and complex incidents.

Commissioner of Public Advocacy Karen King added, “Domestic violence incidents demand a specialized response, and 911 call-takers are the first responders to assess the situation and learn about what is going on in the home and what help is needed. This training will help dispatchers to identify problems, be sensitive to cultural differences, and interact with callers in ways that will hopefully produce better outcomes.”

For more information on EC Central Police Services, visit http://www2.erie.gov/cps/; or on the EC Office of Public Advocacy, visit http://www2.erie.gov/publicadvocacy/.