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CREATE A NEW REPRESENTED CLASSIFICATION OF POLICE TELECOMMUNICATOR CALL TAKER FOR THE STOCKTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND APPROVE THE SALARY RANGE
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution creating a new represented classification of Police Telecommunicator Call Taker and approve the salary range.
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Summary
The Police Department is requesting to establish a new classification of Police Telecommunicator Call Taker to be placed within the classified service of the civil service system and represented by the Stockton City Employees’ Association.
This position will allow incumbents time to learn the policies and procedures related to dispatch of emergency and non-emergency calls. Staff assigned at this level will perform the most basic duties within the dispatch center.
DISCUSSION
Background
Candidates hired into the Police Telecommunicator I classification serve a one-year probationary period, and at a minimum, the first six months of this period is spent on training as a call taker. Once the incumbent has met the performance standards as a call taker, he or she is moved on to the training period for dispatch. The dispatch duties are historically the most difficult, thus, this half of the training is where many trainees fail and are ultimately rejected during probation. It is estimated that one in four Police Telecommunicators hired are ultimately rejected during probation, and many of those rejected are good employees who would be a good fit in other classifications within the City but are not able to meet the performance standards for a dispatcher. The Police Department spends over $65,000 on training and development for each new Police Telecommunicator I.
At the request of the Police Department, Human Resources Staff began researching the classification series of Police Telecommunicator I/II. As a result of this research, it was determined that the department has a need for a level below the Police Telecommunicator I classification, which is currently the entry-level into the Telecommunicator series. This new level will allow an employee additional time to grasp the more complex dispatching portion of the Telecommunicator position.
Present Situation
Human Resources conducted a study to analyze the classification structure and operational needs of the Police Telecommunicator Series. The public safety dispatch profession has a high turnover rate, and we are continually recruiting, hiring, and training new Police Telecommunicators. By creating the new Police Telecommunicator Call Taker classification, the Police Department will not risk losing a probationary employee who may be a competent call taker, but is not able to meet the performance standards for the dispatch duties of a Police Telecommunicator I during the probationary period. The Police Telecommunicator I position will have the same duties as the proposed Police Telecommunicator Call Taker positon but will also dispatch staff to emergencies. The Police Telecommunicator Call Taker will not have dispatch duties. The dispatch function is the primary difference between the duties of the Police Telecommunicator Call Taker and the Police Telecommunicator I. The Police Telecommunicator Call Taker will respond to a higher number of calls for service but all responsibilities for dispatching sworn officers via the radio and the responsibility for continuing to provide information to officers as an event continues is the responsibility of the Police Telecommunicator I/II position.
The Police Telecommunicator Call Taker classification is part of the Telecommunicator series and a “deep class type” for staffing purposes. Deep class type means incumbents may be assigned to any level and advance through the levels, provided that they possess the required education, experience, and proficiency required of the higher level.
The Police Department added two Police Telecommunicator I/II allocations in their 2015-2016 budget and currently have three vacant Telecommunicator positions. It is the Department’s intent to fill these positions with Police Telecommunicator I, and the Police Telecommunicator Call Taker position will only be used for incumbents who cannot demonstrate the dispatching skills during the probationary period. This position will allow the department to maintain employees who have completed a lengthy background check and can perform needed call taking skills.
Pursuant to City of Stockton Civil Service Rules and Regulations for Miscellaneous Employees, Rule IV, Section 1, the Director of Human Resources shall ascertain and record, or cause to be ascertained and recorded, the duties and responsibilities of all positions in the Classified Service. The Police Telecommunicator Call Taker class specification was provided to the Stockton City Employees’ Association for review and concurrence on January 28, 2016. The bargaining unit did not object to the creation of the classification.
For salary consideration, staff completed an internal equity analysis. A recommendation to set the salary range for Police Telecommunicator Call Taker at approximately 11% below that of Police Telecommunicator I was approved by the City Manager on March 31, 2016.
The current salary range is as follows:
|
Police Telecommunicator Call Taker |
|
Classified/Represented - Stockton City Employees’ Association |
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
Monthly |
$3,774.44 |
$3,967.58 |
$4,170.65 |
$4,384.76 |
$4,608.80 |
$4,844.98 |
|
Annual |
$45,293.28 |
$47,610.96 |
$50,047.80 |
$52,617.12 |
$55,305.60 |
$58,139.76 |
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The Police Department is not asking for additional funding or position allocations for the Police Telecommunicator Call Taker position. Filling vacant Police Telecommunicator I/II positions as Police Telecommunicator Call Takers will not have an adverse impact on the approved FY 2016-2017 Police Department General Fund budget, including Measure A monies.