Memphis 9-1-1 Magazine July 2023

I S H 9 P 1-1 M E M Official Publication of the MPD Emergency Communications Bureau

2023 issue 23

MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS BUREAU

ABOUT US We are one of the busiest 9-1-1 centers in the country.

We receive over 630,000 9-1-1 calls and more than 500,000 non-emergency calls each year.

ECB Monthly Mission This publication seeks to inspire and

The MPD Emergency Communications Bureau (ECB) is the primary Public

motivate ECB telecommunicators by highlighting employee accomplishments.

Safety Answering Point

The selected stories and content are

(PSAP) for the City of

shared with the intent to disseminate

Memphis; and the only

useful information about the Bureau,

provider of Law Enforcement

Memphis Police Department and the

dispatch services for the Memphis Police Department.

9-1-1 industry as a whole.

Furthermore, we aspire to increase transparency and communication

We consistently strive to meet

between management and the floor;

the call answer time standard

and improve overall employee morale.

of answering 90 percent of 91-1 calls within 15 seconds. major james kellum interim emergency communications administrator cerelyn davis chief of police, memphis police department

TABLE OF CONTENTS

JULY 2023 MEMPHIS 9-1-1 MAGAZINE

MEMPHIS 9-1-1 MAGAZINE TEAM

Editor-in-Chief, Deranecque Sims Editor, Erica May Contributors, Sam Stamper, Linda Hollingsworth, Karonda Umoh

08

28 12 community connections

Employee Spotlights

20 04

Supervisor Kirkwood-Umoh has been working with the Public Information Office to highlight dispatchers on MPD's Facebook page. Catch the rerun HERE! pages 4, 5 & 32

Switching Sides ANTONAE PARKER MIKE SPENCER TRACEY JUDD (page 30)

Supervisor of the Year

06 08

ROSALIND PHILLIPS

Beyond the Bureau

14

LIEUTANANT MILTON BONDS, JR SEX CRIMES

NENA 2023 The annual National Emergency Number Association (NENA) conference took place June 19-22 in Grapevine, Texas.

MANY THANKS: The editorial team appreciates MPD Photo Lab technician Brittney Scales for her assistance in gathering photos for this publication.

20

INTRODUCING Antonae traded in her headset for handcuffs.

OFFICER PARKER

RECRUIT PARKER Look at her. Learning how to catch us speeding.

How's it going at the Training Academy?

The academy has been a mind blowing experience. I’m wishing after learning all the things we’ve covered so far in the academy I could get a do-over in dispatch. There are so many intricate, yet dangerous parts of being an officer and it has given me more understanding in all they have to deal with. I could’ve been a more proficient dispatcher. It has been rough at times, but I’m having a blast!

Gotta stay in shape. Ab exercises after a run.

MANAGER MIKE He is still dedicated to the City of Memphis and 9-1-1---just on the fire side now.

He is still on the public safety team.

INTRODUCING

manager spencer MEMPHIS FIRE COMMUNICATIONS

Rosalind Phillips

2022 COMMUNICATIONS SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR ROSALIND PHILLIPS Chief Davis, Major Kellum, and Mgr. Lovejoy

A Huge Responsibility

Upon her appointment as the TAC Coordinator, Rosalind Phillips directed an overhaul and complete transformation of the agency's NCIC operations. Her leadership resulted in the agency successfully passing an audit by the Tennessee Department of Investigation (TBI). During the audit, inspectors praised her on the turnaround and with the agencies' organization, neatness, and accuracy in NCIC entries. For her efforts and excellence in outcomes, she was awarded 2022 Supervisor of the Year.

As the Terminal Agency Coordinator (TAC) Supervisor Phillips is the agency's "contact person" required by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and TBI. She also serves as the on-the-scene policy and procedure expert, ensuring compliance with FBI, NCIC, and NLETS policies and regulations and ensuring that more than 3000 TIES users are certified with a valid expiration. She is responsible for training new query or basic certified operators and ensuring every HIT in NCIC is validated.

STEPS TO SUCCESS My first step was organizing this office.

My second task was identifying where we were out of compliance and fixing those problems, which was hard work and long hours. But during our 2022 TBI Audit, I received several compliments regarding my organizational skills and our NCIC entries ---for correctness and accuracy. So even though I worked hard, I also have a TAC team and Station B members that work hard too.

So, let's give them a shout-out!

Station B is the information hub for this department; the operators in Station B are inputting data into the NCIC files. There are three (3) purposes of NCIC: to Protect the Public; to Protect Law Enforcement; and to Provide information for apprehending fugitives, locating missing people, locating and returning stolen property, and identifying terrorists, violent offenders, etc. The advice I give anyone interested in Station B: It's a lot of work. You can not have the attitude, "This entry will do" . No, that entry must be accurate and correct. I need detail-oriented people who understand they are governed by compliance, so dotting their I's and crossing their T's is a MUST.

Rosalind is a Godsend. She helps our division on a daily basis with the Sex Offender Registry. TBI requires us to perform third party checks on all interactions with people on the SOR. Rosalind and Katie perform the third-party checks. I feel bad because we take up so much of their time. I wish we had our own dispatcher in Sex Crimes because we have so much NCIC work. Rosalind is "hands on" and a great teacher. She makes sure you know what you are doing.

She is always available to answer our questions. She doesn't jump on us when we make mistakes. She just helps us fix it.

-Lt. Milton Bonds, Sex Crimes

with Roz What advice would you give someone interested in being the TAC coordinator in the future?

First, be ready to work hard. (Laughing) It is tedious and very time-consuming, you must be very detailed. You must be principled with a good work ethic and be willing to follow procedures and policies.

What is your leadership style?

I believe I have the democratic or coaching style. I work hard at being Proactive – last year, I saw a need for our agency to upgrade to e-Agent 2.0. When the staffing level improves, I aim to have several NCIC operators, allowing them to input data simultaneously. I work hard at motivating and developing others, I love what I do, but I also know I don't have 10 or 15 more years left in Communications, so I am trying to inspire others that will be just as passionate as I am.

What are you looking forward to in the future?

Two words that come to mind when I think about Supervisor Phillips are available and efficient. Sometimes we have questions and we don't have to ask her because she has already sent out a training refresher via email.

Still, she is always available and willing to help us be effective in Station B. - PRD Shamanda Davis, Station B Operator

Although I don't know when I will throw in my hat and say, "Goodbye to Communications," as long as I am happy and healthy, I ask God to guide me in his footsteps. Therefore, my goal is to continue to have successful audits and ensure that this department complies with the regulations we are governed by. In addition, I hope our Bureau (and the Department) staffing levels will grow, and we get more people passionate about helping others.

PSAP PICS

ECB In the Community April 2023, The Alpha Shift donated to tornado victims in Wynne and Little Rock, Arkansas. Donations included water, hygiene products and cash.

Dispatcher Treccia Burton delivered the items and the recipients were very grateful.

Her smile makes you smile!

IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW

DURING NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, CHIEF DAVIS HOSTED A WELLNESS RETREAT IN MARCH FOR ALL WOMEN OF MPD. IT WAS A GREAT EVENT.

Knee up, toe down, and smile!

JULY 2023

MEMPHIS 9-1-1 MAGAZINE

SEX CRIMES BEYOND THE BUREAU

LT. MILTON BONDS JR. Lieutenant Milton Bonds has been with the Memphis Police Department for 26 years. He is a supervisor in the ICAC unit. ( Internet Crimes Against Children). He is a certified digital forensic examiner and a certified mobile device examiner. Lt. Bonds is married to his high school sweetheart, and they have two adult daughtersand one granddaughter.

Sex Crimes is responsible for handling investigations involving any sexual or physically abusive crime. It is broken down into five units.

Adult Sex Crimes- investigates cases with victims ages 13 and above Juvenile Abuse- investigates cases with victims ages 12 and under and crimes committed by authority figures Sex Offender Registry- monitors persons convicted of a crime sexual in nature that have been ordered to register on the sex offender list. There are approximately 1900 in the City of Memphis, 2300 in all of Shelby County DNA (Cold Case Unit) - investigators handle the back log of rape kits that have not been tested, and investigate cases related to those kits ICAC - Internet Crimes Against Children/Human Trafficking - investigates all adult and juvenile sex trafficking cases and cases involving adults solicting minors online

LIEUTENANT MILTON BONDS JR.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

I work in ICAC (Internet Crimes against Children).

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) receives complaints from social media companies about adults soliciting or having inappropriate conversations with minors online. NCMEC researches the IP address from the complaint and then assigns jurisdiction.

We receive about 5 to 10 complaints from them per day. We investigate the complaints and, if founded, bring charges.

I talk to Rosalind (Phillips) and Katie ( Lipsey) a lot. They help us with Sex Offender Registry.

What should dispatchers do when we receive calls from people who say they have seen a child being abused online?

Dispatchers should direct the caller to contact NCMEC. They have an 800 number as well as a form on their website to receive tips. They investigate the video and are able to see which jurisdiction the video originated in. Then they assign it to that law enforcement agency. What currently happens is people call 9-1-1 about those viral videos----dispatchers refer callers to us and we refer them to the website.

There are approximately 2300 registered sex offenders in Shelby County and about 1900 in the city of Memphis. Registered sex offenders have to check in with the Sex Crimes unit at certain intervals to remain in compliance. There are three categories of reporting: Homeless: persons who do not have an address are required to check in with our office monthly.

Violent : persons convicted of a violent sexual offense are required to report in quarterly.

Sexual: persons convicted of non-violent sexual offenses are required to check in annually.

LIEUTENANT MILTON BONDS JR. INTERVIEW

Kids, Cell Phones & Social Media

We get called out to the schools a lot over kids "exposing" each other. Uniform patrol receives the call, detains all the students involved. They call us out and we confiscate all the cell phones. We investigate to determine where the photo/video originated from. It is illegal to send and receive child pornography, even when all involved parties are minors. They can and are sometimes charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and/or illegal use of a telecommunication device. Law requires us to confiscate, and we do not have to return any device that is found to have child pornography on it.

Our investigators often speak to schools, churches and community groups about monitoring kids activities on social media. We encourage parents to stay engaged with their children. Monitor their cell phones and social media. Be nosy.

There are a lot of adults on the internet soliciting children for relations.

- Lt. Bonds

Tell us about an interesting case you've investigated.

Sextortion is a form of child sexual exploitation where children are threatened or blackmailed, most often with the possibility of sharing with the public a nude or sexual images of them, by a person who demands additional sexual content, sexual activity or money from the child.

-National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

There was a male teacher at an elementary school that was arrested for sexual exploitation of a minor. He pretended to be a student on the school's virtual platform and was able to get students to send him explicit photos, which he would threaten to share with other students. He also set up a camera and would record the students getting undressed.

MEMPHIS 9-1-1 MAGAZINE

JULY 2023

What do you like most about working for MPD? There is something new every day.

No day is the same. I have been with MPD since I graduated high school. I started working at the City Lot, then I became a PST and finally an officer. I was one of the first officers assigned to the original COPS Unit.

What are you most proud of in your career?

I have NEVER been charged.

In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge facing police officers today?

We talk about this ALL the time in the office.

The officers today are dealing with crime that is much worse than when I was on the streets.

They are not being forced to learn their jobs.

Sometimes it seems like anyone can "be the police". But it takes much more to be effective. I know we need officers, but even more we need people that want to learn the job. We need to learn policy and procedure and be knowledgeable in administration and law to be competent in this field of work.

Who has been a mentor to you at MPD? My biggest mentor and inspiration on the department has been Major Kevin Williams.

He works in Investigative Services now, but even when we were on the streets, I admired how he conducted himself, his passion for the job and how he polices. He always encouraged me to stay out of trouble.

LIEUTENANT MILTON BONDS INTERVIEW

Training Spotlight ERCO Shipp is supportive, not afraid to ask questions, and dedicated to the service she provides the citizens. ~ Supervisor Kirkwood-Umoh

What do you like best about working in 9-1-1?

The ability to assist the citizens with the help they are requesting in a timely manner.

How long have you been a trainer?

FELECIA SHIPP, CTO

I have been training for 2 years.

What is some of the advice you give your trainees?

Stay focused, stay calm, remain professional, accuracy over speed, avoid taking the job home (as it may be difficult at times) and receive the callers as if it was you or someone you love needing the help.

What attributes/characteristics do you think are important for someone to be successful in this role?

To name a few; loyalty, good communication skills/interpersonal skills, must have patience, pure empathy What ideas do you have for improving the training program?

That all CTO's are training according to P&P, not to speak ill of the bureau in front new hires/trainees and remembering we all once was a trainee.

What are you looking forward to most in the future?

Retirement (LOL)

MPD Dispatchers “PAWS” for a Moment Research shows that little things like petting a dog can lower the stress hormone Cortisol. The interaction between people and dogs can actually increase levels of the feel-good hormone Oxytocin.

This handsome canine, “Gadget”, stopped by for his first Emergency Communications Bureau visit. Five minutes with him was the absolute highlight of the evening. Thank you K-17 (C. Van Arsdale) for sharing sweet Gadget with us. This was a much needed and appreciated opportunity to “PAWS FOR A MOMENT”.

Gadget's official name is "Inspector Gadget" but to simplify it, referring to him as Gadget is fine per K-17.

Linda Hollingsworth

Le tm eg et a

Meeting gadget was more than pet therapy it was a sweet honor, it allowed me to meet him as a puppy, working dog in training. With all the training he has had and will have he will be awesome, a great addition to our Agency. In the future when he is out and about serving the citizens of Memphis in some of their scariest and most vulnerable times, I can say I pet a hero. He loves water bottles, his coat is soft, he is smart and kind!

Go, Go Gadget!

Supervisor Charlotte Hardy lil' sip !?! ??

I DON'T SEE WHAT YOU ARE SAYIN'!

LET ME GET THE 5 PIECE HOT.

Conference Reflections Grapevine, Texas

Rosalind Phillips The 2023 NENA Conference was my first time attending, and it was such a fantastic event and a great experience. The event was well organized; all the staff members and volunteers were professional and courteous. It was apparent that a lot of hard work and dedication was involved to make it a success.

There were so many lectures, and I took advantage of attending several, which provided me with learning information; I had the opportunity to connect with like-minded people and engage with individuals who share the same compassion for public safety and who are tackling some of the same problems our agency is tackling daily. Here's a "Shout-Out" to our Manager, McCord, and Supervisor, Erica May; both were speakers at this year's conference and did an excellent job with their materials and knowledge. I was happy to support them from Memphis.

This year's conference was undoubtedly a learning experience and significantly impacted my career, training, and future goals with this Bureau. I walked away with fresh and new ideas and can share the knowledge and experiences received, but I would like to see more employees allowed to share the same opportunities. We all are leaders and have something to give and much more to learn as public safety employees.

I appreciate the opportunity to attend; hopefully, this will not be the last.

I truly enjoyed seeing my CPE classmates. We met for lunch to enjoy each other and also discuss a major issue at our agencies (STAFFING). I met several people who were very nice and had great ideas that I plan on sharing with our bureau. I attended a session on Wellness that made me think more about me staying healthy and taking care of myself. This job will be here even when I’m not. This wellness class also stated that our vital functions are interconnected. When our body is working optimally these functions also live in harmony: H-Hormones I-Immune System D-Digestion D-Detox Pathways E-Energy Production N-Neurological and Brain Function I also attended Manager McCord's and SUPV Erica May’s presentations that were very informative.

Both presenters had their audience engaged and excited on their topics. GREAT JOB ECB STAFF!!!

Finally, I enjoyed waking up at 05:30 every morning to work out with Dewanda, Pat and Julia. ~Margaret

CHICKEN OR STEAK?

Who's that?

I totally enjoyed the NENA conference. It was very interesting and informative to hear from others in the industry. I visited numerous classes and, of course, the expo center. I was able to see firsthand our new CAD system that's coming in the near future. My takeaways were basically that there's a nationwide shortage in the industry. I went on a tour of one of the PSAP and there was a board that showed how much overtime each dispatcher worked during the pay period. One lady had over 100 hours of overtime. WOW!!.. I also visited one session in which the instructor advised that, although their dispatchers make over $90,000, they still have to live in government subsidized housing. I also learned that some com centers allow their dispatchers to work from home. One of the speakers left a phrase with us saying be better and not bitter. Yes, we have some issues at our center, but I heard stories from other dispatchers that made us look like the top echelon in the business. Although we were there to learn, we also had fun. I had a chance to hang out with my manager Stiger, supervisor Garrett, and Dewanda who took me to a nice steak restaurant for my birthday. During the expo visits, each visitor was given scratch off tickets that allowed you to win a prize. Margaret and I won!! The prize included a NENA bag filled with a several items such as pins, mugs, books, license plate covers...etc. Overall, the conference was interesting, informative and inspiring.

-Pat Wright

The overall organization of the conference was outstanding.

The conference organizer, NENA, had an app with events and sessions, allowing you to make the most of the conference.

The hotel we stayed at, Gaylord Texan, was beautiful.

I truly enjoyed the NENA award recipients celebration, along with the speaker who oozed the "CHANGE ENTHUSIAM" that she spoke about. The entire conference was about the changes that are going on now and some that are soon to hit our PSAP. We had an impressive time with NGA (Next Generation Advance). We listened to the speaker through a small speaker with headsets that drowned out the background noise.

We were able to hear everything that was said about AI soon moving into the PSAPS countrywide if they're ready for the set up and it is compatible to our system that is already in place. This is including advanced transcription that we already have in place!!!

I even visited a vendor called ROADSIDE SOS WRECKERS that introduced us to a system where the whole wrecker system that we use would be remodeled by automatic calling of wreckers from our rotation list, directly dealing with the wrecker companies we use.

When wreckers are disregarded, they'll have to check in w/ the system, bypassing us having to do tedious job of calling, disregarding and starting over........Now that excites me and I know it would be welcome for ECB!!! HINT/HINT The highlight of our trip to NENA for me was witnessing our hometown of Memphis be represented well. Our Charlie shift ECB Manager Jesse McCord and our Charlie Shift Supervisor Erica May taught segments in the conference. McCord spoke on Diversity in the Workplace and May took our 3P: Present, Professional and Productive all the way to the Grapevine. #PROUDMEMPHIAN Julia Robinson, CTS

"McCord spoke on Diversity in the Workplace and May took our 3P: Present, Professional and Productive all the way to the Grapevine." #PROUDMEMPHIAN

Have you met Zach?

Zachary Davis aka "Zach" is our Resident Systems Administrator from Hexagon. He is here to work with Manager Dewanda Montague with the pending Hexagon OnCall CAD upgrade.

When you see Zach, say "hello" and introduce yourself. He's a really nice guy.

Radiological Security Awareness and Response Training The training was Radiological Security Awareness and Response. Over the course of a three-day period, we discussed the proper protocol and policies related to RSAR. The training was very interesting and informative; as a team, we shared many thought-provoking conversations. ~ ECS J. Young “ I attended the Special Ops/RSAR Training, which focused mainly on proper implementation of policies and notification of proper agencies should a Weapon of Mass Destruction be stolen from a medical or research facility. More importantly, we learned how to handle this situation should we as dispatchers come across this scenario.

The first piece of equipment is the Blood Irradiator; the second is a Research Irradiator; the next a PRD which stands for Personal Radiography Detector; and the last being a Gammaray source projector or Radiography Camera. All these pieces of equipment contain highly radioactive substances and can be found in many areas throughout the city.

This was an awesome and informative training to participate in. This is one of those pieces of training that forces the individual to go beyond and deeper in their training and understanding of their job. It reaffirms just how important it is that we as dispatchers take our jobs seriously. I am so grateful to have attended and am looking forward to more training that allows me to dive deeper and use problemsolving skills to make our city a better place.”

-PRD Teddrick Boyd

I thoroughly enjoyed the Special OPS/RSAR (Radiological Security Awareness and Response Communications) training. I always enjoy learning new things, particularly things that are of awareness. We learned about all the different types of radioactive sources here in our city. I had no idea that we, the city of Memphis, had so much radiological equipment that requires 24-hour security.

And to know that MPD has the TACT Unit available to respond to this type of threat or alarm is reassuring to say the least. I would love to learn more about how we as Police Dispatchers can ensure the safety of all our citizens, commissioned and none commissioned.

The RSAR team was amazing. They had so much information about what exactly is possible with the alarm system that is set up at each site for equipment such as blood irradiators. MFD is also trained to assist with any contamination or exposure incidents that may possibly occur. To know that only a very small amount of radioactive material, Cesium 137, or Cobalt, can cause so much damage is very alarming.

For training purposes, we participated in two different scenarios. If there was only an intrusion alarm, we would dispatch uniform patrol only. If there was a tamper alarm, (someone is attempting to gain entry to a blood irradiator machine), we would dispatch out for SWAT. There were even scenarios that depicted a hostage, possibly a staff member who has access to the blood irradiator room. In that scenario, we learned that there are three points of verification to enter a location. If there is any discrepancy of verification, an alarm is sent to notify the "dispatcher" that is monitoring the room.

Overall, I learned a lot and am very intrigued by the system used to monitor sites. I am very pleased to have been selected by my management team to receive this training and certification.”

-PRD Shamanda Davis l-r: PRD Teddrick Boyd, Manager Deranecque Sims, ECS Jameta Young, ECS Karonda Umoh, PRD Shamanda Davis, Program Mgr. Ron Crane, Manager Margaret Stiger, US Army SSGT Dobbins, MPD Colonel Keith Watson

On behalf of the participants from the Emergency Communications Bureau, we would like to thank Colonel Keith Watson and his team for the opportunity to share in such an interesting training experience.

Jameta L. Young

OFFICER JUDD Memphis 9-1-1 Magazine congratulates and celebrates with former dispatcher Tracey Judd. Tracey was among 26 new recruits to graduate from MPD's 139 Basic Recruit class. A standout during her brief stint in dispatch, it came as no surprise that she took home a leadership award during the graduation ceremony.

Favorite precinct to Work

CHERISH EVERY MOMENT OF THIS TIME AND REVEL IN THIS NEW STAGE OF YOUR LIFE. HAPPY RETIREMENT, COLONEL J.D. SMITH! 28 years of dedication and service to the citizens of memphis and the memphis police department.