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Rosencrans was one of the earliest radio operators - and since he distinctly pronounced/announced his name at the end of every message - he became a very well known dispatcher considering as how his AM radio signal at 1600kHz carried across the USA back in the ?1930s.

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Apparently the centralized dispatch system evolved like this : Initially, two people were on duty in a small room - 1 answered the telephone and alarm boxes - the other person sent out radio messages. As the system expanded, the dispatch office workers were divided into "call-takers" and "radio-operators". Call takers would receive phone calls from the public via the XXX-XXXX telephone number and write the info on small paper cards. The cards would then travel by conveyor belt to the radio operators who would assign a police car via radio. Later (?1960s), the call takers were given the ability to directly broadcast urgent incidents to the patrol cars via the radio system.

The first portable radios came into widespread use in the ?1970s.

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Historical Info posted June 1999

Clark - Yes, I was with LAPD as a "student worker" and then an RTO in the late 60s/70s. My new bride just retired as a Senior PSR II, after slaving away down there for 31 1/2 years...hired on waaay back in 1968. Whew. I agree 100% about the inefficiency of "multicasting" the way they do. The bigshots upstairs at Parker Center -- most of whom havee sat at desks ever since their mandatory year on the street way-back when - decided that all crime broadcasts should go out to the area ("division") involved and all adjacent areas. On each RTO's console it's called "group select." Sounds reasonable enough, but... The problem is all the shared frequencies...not enough RTO's or consoles to go around. Now that they have all the 480-band freqs, there ARE enough freqs to go around. Your example is exactly accurate, and probably the most extreme:

Northeast & Rampart share the same frequency; and Wilshire & Ven.. oops, Pacific share the same freq. A Rampart crime broadcast going out to Wilshire makes sense, but what happens with this sharing is that, say, a purse-snatch way up at North Figueroa & Colorado (almost in Pasadena) gets broadcast to a unit down at Imperial Highway and Vista del Mar, almost in the ocean (or even worse, El Segundo). And most cops are out of the cars handling their own stuff to even listen to the stuff anyway, unless it's REALLY major. Like a lot in beaurocratia, the decision-makers ain't the ones who get impacted. When they make ME king, though....

After I left LAPD, I worked a short stint as a consultant for, then employee of, South Bay Regional Communications when they were getting ready to go on line. What an abortion THAT was. They didn't automatically "grandfather" any dispatch employees from the seven cities that ended up signing on (Hermosa, Manhattan, El Stinko, Gardena, Hawthorne, Redondo & P V Estates), so that caused a lot of hard feelings to begin with. And as a result, on opening day, we cut-over El Segundo & Manhattan Beach with only ONE person who had ever worked with either of those cities' personnel. It was a VERY rough beginning. This was in 1977, so their use of MDT's predated LAPD's by about six years. LOTS of bugs! But after losing about half the member agencies they're still running. The current ops manager there started out with me right at the get-go....she had been a co-worker of mine at LAPD before that.

I agree with your observations about SIS. Someone got smart years ago and picked from the best and/or most experienced surveillance officers and created a group that specializes in just that. They often assist other divisions city-wide when a difficult surveillance is involved. Narcotics & Organized Crime Divisions usually do their own "tails,' but the surveillance div folks get called in for robbers, terrorists and the like. Makes for interesting listening.

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10/99 posts on THE HISTORY

In response to Derryberrys "scanner" item I had to chuckle...Spinechilling.? Gee, it seemed to work fine. Well, except for some of those calls that fell through the conveyor belt on the floor never to be seen again. And how about the (warrant checks on) suspects? I think writing down the info on yellow tickets, sending it to phones, rolling it up and sending it through the pneumatic tubes to R and I was a hoot also. Then it would come back 10 or 15 minutes later, get unrolled by the phone person , picked up by the dispatcher, taken to the Rto and B/c to the unit. ?????? Of course those "rollers" were very important so we had a direct line to auto records.........Hey, but we could write, number stamp, time, toss , put ticket in said place and turn that button....and we still got the job done. Plus had time to lean over and help your neighbor with their filing......

Let's hear it for those old "boom type mikes"! Manys the time I flipped that mike forward then pulled it back to B/c and hit myself on my front tooth.....A little overzealous but it was a very serious job, you see. Why, it even said on one of the 12 pages of the RTO manual that you must always be sure! A guess could cause the LIFE OF AN OFFICER. Remember that? I do. Spine chilling? Ah, those memories are fond ones for me..... Sharon O. James. previously known as Lawler and before that Remine. To post a message to the KMA367 list just e-mail to KMA367@onelist.com Make sure you notifiy everyone you keep in contact with about the list so we can start keeping in better touch with one and all. Subscribe at http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/KMA367

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Actually, the old system was quite fast, especially during high-priority incidents. Here's how it worked:

Routine calls were sent down the conveyor from the complaint board (police officers answered the phones back then) to the "mike room." They would be picked up by the "dispatcher," who would asssign a unit and pass the ticket thru to the RTO for broadcast. It could be done in less than a minute, depending on call volume. The real delays in the system were the same then as now...lack of units. Routine calls ("cold" crime reports, etc) would sometimes wait minutes - even hours on busy nights for a unit.

"Hot shots" - crimes in progress - were intercommed immediately by the complaint-board officer to the "link" dispatcher, whose console is shown there right alongside the conveyor, just inside the radio room. As he was getting the basic info, the dispatcher, who could hear the intercom, would get him an available unit, and the call would be broadcast instantly. The call ticket would be given to the RTO, who would handle the radio traffic from there on.

The link could transmit/receive on any combination of frequencies, as well as handling pursuits and the infrequent "intercity link" radio calls.

One BIG advantage of the old manual system was during emergency incidents, such as "officer needs help" calls, 211's (robberies) or shootings in progress, etc, when there are multiple units transmitting. Not at all unusual to have a dozen or more units radioing in. We'd often have to time-stamp and jot just a minimum of info on each ticket, as little as the last digits of the unit number ("_12") and maybe an abbreviated location ("84 & B"), and go on to the next message. Once the incident calmed down we would go back and complete the tickets, while it was still fresh in our minds. This was where the manual system was much more efficient.

Most CAD systems fall down there, in that each transaction must be completed before you can start another one, and you have to get all the required info in the right format/syntax, or else deal with an "error" message besides. Granted, CAD provides an unprecedented ability to compile stats and data, but when the "stuff was happening" the manual system worked as fast as the fastest operator could go...no waiting for the right screen or cursor or dealing with "no such location" or "unit not logged on" kinds of stuff.

We used three types of tickets ("message logs"). Downtown Commuications used 5x8" paper, while Valley Communications used "IBM-card" style. These were mostly pre-printed with all the common messages, call types, description spaces, and address lines. Required a minimum of writing...just circle the appropriate items. Routine calls were on white, "hot shots" and crime-broadcasts (detailed descriptions) on blue, and officer-initiated messages (out to station, enroute, traffic stop, service requests, etc) on pink. I have a copy of a "blue," I'll try to scan it and put it online in a file or something, and try to get the other tickets too.

Communications got computers at each console for vehicle and suspect inquiries about 1968. The first ones used small monitors, about 8-inch square screens, and were mounted at the upper left corner of the "status board" in front of the operator. Don't know if these are present - or visible - in the early "Adam-12" intros.

I also worked at one of the first CAD/MDT-equipped agencies in Southern California, South Bay Regional Communications, which went on-line with seven cities' police & fire departments in 1977. One thing about MDT use that drove me nuts then - and still does - is that it's entirely too common for a unit to receive a "routine" call that involves a location or person that other officers may be very familiar with, but nobody hears about it other than the assigned unit.

There are several negative implications of this, including officer safety, response time and quality of service. When such a call goes by voice, you might get "6A15, advise the unit that the RP was armed when we handled a call there yesterday;" or "8A68, we're at that location, will handle the call for 8A14;" or "10A71, we handled a family dispute there earlier, cancel 10A87, we'll handle." Sometimes CAD "premise history" or "call history" apps will alert a dispatcher to these things, but not nearly as effectively as when the call goes by voice. But really, I have nothing against progress. Or computers. I hadn't planned to write a book. Pardon the bandwidth! Harry

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I loved every detail. I had forgotten how when that authoritive male voice took over the channel how my ears would perk up knowing we'd be getting a hot-shot broadcast. Thanks for sharing this with us. Naturally when Adam-12 aired I was facinated with those shots of the mike room and how cool it seemed with those cards constantly scurrying down the conveyor. We may scoff at it now, but I'll bet that was considered pretty much state-of-the-art for a system of that size in those days. - Gerry

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My pleasure indeed. Funny you should say "state of the art." From what I've been told, a lot of our basic equipment was brought over to Parker Center when the PD moved out of City Hall in the early 50's, and some of it had been in use over there since the 1930s! Those vertical "status boards" in front of each operator had round rotating buttons, maybe 1 1/2" diameter, for each unit. Half of the button was green, the other half black, and the orientation of the button indicated the unit's status. There was an identical button on the opposite side of the shaft, for the "dispatcher."

If a unit was "clear," you'd turn his button so the green half was on top. If on a call, the green would be on the left; on Code 7 (lunch) green on the right half, if out of service (at station, not on duty, or otherwise not available for calls), the green was on the bottom. The ticket corresponding to that status would be in the rack on top, directly above the button.

The RTO and the dispatcher/call assigner could see instantly who was clear, who was on a call and potentially available, who was on Code 7 and probably not available (very few portable radios until the advent of the 506 MHZ "ROVERs" in the early 80s).

There's an old "B" movie on late night TV occasionally, called "Code Two" with Sally Forrest, Robert Horton, Ralph Meeker. It's a hokey drama/romance thing about a couple LA motorcops made about 1953. But they did their homework for the "police" stuff, and there are a few scenes from the old City Hall radio room, and a few radio calls that are even more realistic than most of the Adam 12 & Dragnet stuff (which were done by a genuine RTO). If you watch close enough, you can see the same - or virtually identical - radio "consoles" as in the Adam 12 shots. Harry

Computers, and MDTs, let us move data around in larger quantities, let us record more detail (and record more detail for us, in terms of time stamps, etc) but don't think that they make dispatching faster.

A trained and experienced card crew could get the jobs in and out at LEAST as fast as a computerized center, and in a lot of cases they could do a better, more efficient job. (You MUST have a verified location for a CAD system, for instance, but real dispatchers can send someone to "the old Carmines on the Ridge" in a hurry, without having to look up the actual adress in outdated street guides, etc. Computerized systems have thier place, and their advantages, but I wouldn't list speed as one of them.

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All units, information only. Malins, are you folks okay out there? They are now saying this happened near Hector, Ca., a small town named for a mining camp.

As for the post about the mike room. You would all roll over in your cubicles if you saw the "mike room' now. The knobs are gone and all that remains are remnants of the cubicles. The old boom mike and link console are still there. The conveyer area is used for office space for the police commission's admin unit, or at least it was the last time I was there.

The break room houses the TANGO unit, which handles worthless documents. It was named for one of the workers. It has been used as a training unit for new PSRs for about 5 years and someday will house someone else because they have been after that space for a long time now. The new training center will be at the Westchester facility, I think.

They have torn the parking lot off of the south side of Parker Center to make room for the NEW Comm. Center. Seems hard to believe that the CDC was brand new when I started working there in 1983.

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Thanks for putting me on the list. Please keep it. I have on copy of a blue ticket and one copy of a pink ticket. The radio room used to be so filled with cigarette smoke that you couldn't see across the horseshoe.

Radio discipline was very strict. Except for a pursuit, an officer had to use only the words listed in the manual. No "thank you" or any other type of comment. The only exceptions were on Christmas, when an officer was permitted to say "Merry Christmas" one time, and on New Year's, when it was "Happy New Year" one time to the RTO.

The first use of a computer did not have a CRT. . .just a typewriter. Wow! Gene ("Police Call") Hughes

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janey905--@aol.com - Operations Manager, South Bay Regional Public Communications Authority

I started at LAPD in January, 1971. I was supposed to be in training class when the big earthquake of 1971 hit. I spent all day calling tree service.

I remember no on liked answering the deaf teletype.....probably because no one knew how to!!!! It is funny the things that you remember when you start talking about old times. Back then it wasn't anything to write close to 1000 tickets on swing shift, especially if you worked Southwest or 77th division. How did we do that?????

Now in our center, I make the dispatchers practice 1 hour of manual mode each month, on each shift, just in case something happens to the computer. They hate it, but when needed, it is a breeze for them!!

I could never understand why Conrad would give me an "ambulance" ticket while working phones and he would say..."and don't hurry about it, it is only for the suspect". Good ole Conrad!!!! Or the trainee I had once that B/C that "the RP was HUA" over the air. Funny stuff!!! But, all in all, we had a good time and were very dedicated to our jobs!!! Janey x RTO#200
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From: shayr--@aol.com

Oh, but Harry....We had so many ways to disguise "messages" that were not according to hoyle...remember how we used to disguise our messages in repeating license plates and stuff that only "he and I knew about". Well maybe not only he and I. Maybe 5 or 6 friends also knew... And on Xmas eve, I remember all that but also remember how we used to Simulcast the "tinkling of keys" prior to the Santa B/C. It was all so exciting....And Sigh. I especially have one particular memory: I was working the motor frequency one Saturday morning......I heard this childlike voice come in and request want and warrant on JIM029.......Ahem...It was my son Todd's voice. I think he was about 9. He was downstairs at home broadcasting on John's motor.......I called home and told John to go down stairs and take care of that. And by the way, Todd is 37 now. How did that happen? Enough for now. Counting down....

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THE PRESENT DAY - 1999/2000

7/2/99 - Trouble occurred with the radio system overnite - all units switched to the new Tac freqs (A thru D) at 484Mhz. ?In the future, all regular channels will be at 484mhz.

As of 7/99 - the LA PD is divided into 18 patrol divisions. 18 radio dispatch channels are utilized, 1 per division. 1 radio dispatcher is assigned to each divisional radio channel at all times.

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November 1999

You described the LAPD method (1st paragraph) almost perfectly. The only difference is that the units can monitor base freq while b/c & monitoring the tac freq. I would think an agency would have to have an abundance of staff available to assign a dispatcher to a single incident unless it was an unusual occurence. Maybe a little more info on our procedures would help... LAPD has 4 bureaus containing 18 geographic divisions + 4 traffic divisions (1 in each of the 4 bureaus). 2 of our bureaus have 4 geographic patrol divisions + 1 traffic division, the other 2 bureaus have 5 geographic patrol divisions + 1 traffic division. All but 2 divisions share a frequency with another division. As a general rule, the shared frequencies usually have only 1 dispatcher for both divisions. So in a bureau, you will have 3 dispatchers + 1 BCC. The BCC is the Bureau Communications Coordinator, their job is kind of vague, but mostly they are responsible for assigning certain "timed-out" calls, and assisting the dispatcher (RTO) in various ways, but especially in emergencies. For instance, if a unit goes into pursuit (couple times a day in LA!), the BCC will many times pull out a Thomas Guide to help with street names and will also contact other agencies to request they take over the pursuit or to notify of our intrusion into their boundaries. In an unusual occurence, it would be more likely that the RTO would remain on the base freq and the BCC would monitor the tac freq to assist on-scene personnel with their requests.

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10/99 - 1999 LAPD Radio Freqs - Jan 2000 busted link - dont work no mo

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Typed by Peter Szerlag - 7/3/99 - reworded a couple of items on 10/5/99 - 10/15/99 added couple of posts and modern radio freqs - 10/29/99 added one post from June 1999 with historical/operational info - 11/5/99 added info about supervisor using map book on chases - 12/8/99 added link to H Marnell's page

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