Chicago Dispatchers

Monday, August 21, 2006

GPS?

Anonymous asked,

GPS anyone?

Since this is the OEMC blog would anyone of you confirm or deny the use of it?

There have been many a post saying it is used and many stating it is not. It is known that it is use for some "investigations" but is OEMC activiely tracking cars? Is it a trial run on a few cars or more prevalent?

If it is in use how come when beat XXXX is running and is not able to give out a precise location for whatever reason, can the dispatcher then give location of vehicle and send units in that direction.

6:03 AM

Okay, we'll officially confirm it unofficially (we're not official spokespersons for OEMC). As was said by 2 previous anonymous posters, we do not have GPS tracking on the zones/citywides. It is strictly rumor. There is as much validity to this rumor as there probably is to the rumor that CPD went back to a bunch of older, beat-up Police Interceptors and put trackers/modules on all of them.

Minimally most of the people on the Operations Floor (ourselves included) are even unaware of "investigations" that it's used in.

And, since it's not in use, when a dispatcher can give a correction location of a unit running and unable to transmit much, it could be because:

  • The dispatcher heard a location/direction through the other open keys in the field (we can on occasion);

  • The dispatcher's pedal was open while he/she asked for a location and inadvertently "covered up" the chasing unit as he/she yelled out a location (it happens on occasion during the quick back-&-forth on occasion). The dispatcher then simply repeats the information for the assisting units;

  • The unit is chasing someone from the job we just sent them on, or;

  • On more rare occasion, the unit put themselves down on the PDT so we can look at the location and start sending assists there.


  • Hope this helps clear up some confusion.

    4 Comments:

    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Off topic, but you guys have got to check out 911girl.blogspot.

    21 August, 2006 13:28  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    we dont have gps

    21 August, 2006 23:55  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    On an unrelated note. Is it true that Cortez Trotter is facing a reverse discrimination lawsuit from white oemc employees who were fired and replaced by black members of his church? Was having a great discussion with a senior city politico until I asked him about this then he turned white as a ghost. Anybody got anything on this?

    22 August, 2006 10:54  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    When the Department was testing LOJAK signals they fitted one squad with a tempory receiver and four magnetic mount antennae on the roof of the car. A second car would have a briefcase transmitter in it. The two would play hide and seek in suspect bad signel areas of the loop.
    The first day they parked the car with the four magnetic antennae in the dock behind 11th and State. Within an hour word spread that the city had a device for the cars that would tell them your exact location and how long you were there. As the story spread it picked up speculation that they could see you and hear you.
    There were some mighty sad faces for awhile until nothing much seemed to happen. Attention was than turned to the possibility that devices next to all the doors are card swipe machines and we would all have to swipe in and out.

    29 August, 2006 15:39  

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