Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Councilors raise dispatcher pay concerns as staff report departures
Summary
Councilmembers flagged dispatcher starting pay and turnover; Police Chief Raney said dispatchers are leaving for higher pay, and the council agreed to review budget options and staffing approaches.
Councilmembers and public-safety leaders flagged dispatcher pay and staff turnover as a personnel and service reliability issue at the Oct. 20 Bristow City Council meeting.
Councilmember Jeff Roberts said the council should examine starting pay for dispatchers and “start thinking about this,” urging that the city consider ways to retain staff. Councilmember Judd Johns responded that the problem requires more work and said he needed to consult Treasurer Ashley before proposing changes.
Police Chief Raney told the council that dispatchers have been leaving for departments that offer higher pay and cautioned against outsourcing. Raney said there were delays when the city’s 911 systems were down and added that outsourcing could worsen response reliability. Mayor Kris Wyatt asked Johns whether he could help pursue the pay review.
The discussion produced no formal budget action at the meeting; councilmembers said they would review the issue and return with options. The council did not set a deadline for a staffing or pay proposal during the Oct. 20 session.
