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Dispatcher stress - police dispatchers
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,The, Oct, 1995 by Tod W. Burke
During the past decade, the law enforcement community and individual researchers have devoted considerable attention to the issue of police stress. Much of this research has focused on finding better ways to manage those specific factors that cause stress for law enforcement officers.
Today, as a direct result of this research, it is common to find police officers attending stress management seminars, lectures, and workshops as part of academy and inservice training programs. Unfortunately, this increased attention to police stress has failed to reach other components of the law enforcement community that also experience high stress levels.
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This article focuses on the specific factors that may contribute to stress and burnout among an often-forgotten segment of the law enforcement population - police dispatchers. In particular, it examines the relationship between dispatcher stress and job satisfaction, social support, and control. The article then discusses the findings of a recent survey of civilian dispatchers in New Jersey. It also offers recommendations for agency administrators to enhance not only the conditions under which police dispatchers work but also the ability of dispatchers to serve their agencies and their communities.
THE DISPATCHER'S ROLE
Dispatchers perform a complex and stressful function. Unfortunately, the critical role they play often is misunderstood by administrators, officers, and citizens.
Dispatchers must be able to handle incoming calls, dispatch officers, transfer calls to appropriate agencies, coordinate multiple units for emergency calls, record computer requests by field units, and in some cases, process written reports. Frequently, they must provide immediate emergency care instructions to panicked, distressed, and highly emotional callers. They must perform all of these functions while remaining calm and reassuring. Additionally, dispatchers often play a vital role in ensuring the safety of others, not only callers but also officers on the street.
Those who most rely on dispatchers - hurried officers who demand immediate attention to their requests and citizens who expect instant resolutions to their problems - often fail to appreciate the diversity of roles performed by dispatchers. Likewise, supervisors and administrators often overlook the many different functions that dispatchers perform.
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO STRESS AND BURNOUT
Many individuals in law enforcement regularly refer to the terms "stress" and "burnout" without possessing a clear understanding of their meanings. For the purposes of the research presented in this article, stress is defined as "the non-specific response of the body to any demand."(1) By contrast, burnout is defined as "the result of constant or repeated emotional pressure associated with an intense involvement with people over long periods of time."(2) It is the "painful realization that (individuals) no longer can help people in need; that they have nothing left in them to give."(3)
While many occupational settings are stressful, dispatchers experience specific stressors unique to their position. Past studies identified aspects of the dispatcher's job that contribute to stress and burnout.(4) They include: Being relegated to a low position within the departmental hierarchy; insufficient training; lack of support and positive reinforcement from officers, supervisors, and managers; shift work; lack of control; antiquated equipment; confinement and lack of interpersonal communication; lack of breaks; negative citizen contacts; lack of personal development; and insufficient pay.
Although many of these stressors have been cited in informal interviews, more formal studies that fully examine the relationship between dispatcher stress and independent stressors have been lacking. The New Jersey study marks the first formal effort to examine the relationship between stress and burnout among dispatchers, with particular attention devoted to job satisfaction, social support, and supervisory control.(5)
METHOD OF RESEARCH
For this study, researchers randomly selected civilian dispatchers from various police agencies throughout southern New Jersey. The research focused only on civilian dispatchers and thus excluded status issues pertaining to sworn officers who performed dispatcher duties. Further, the counties of southern New Jersey were selected because they included urban, suburban, and rural agencies, thereby permitting greater application of the survey results.
After securing approval from the heads of the selected agencies, researchers mailed survey forms to the departments' dispatchers. Of the 411 surveys distributed, 254 completed responses were received, for a return rate of 62 percent.
RESULTS OF THE STUDY
Job Satisfaction
The researchers predicted that police dispatchers who were dissatisfied with their job, lacked social support, and perceived little control over their working environment would experience the greatest amount of occupational stress and burnout. Job satisfaction was defined as the totality of the dispatchers' feelings about various aspects of their occupation. These aspects included the work itself, pay, promotional opportunities, coworker support, and supervisory support.(6)
