CSUSB partners with Chaffey for dispatch services
Author: Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell , Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO - As the student population continues to increase at Chaffey College's three campuses, there is an increased need for police services.
To meet the demand, Chaffey's campus police department is now working with Cal State San Bernardino's police department to provide a shared police dispatch service.
"This consolidation is a great way for both departments to save money in these difficult budgetary times and also a good way to become more efficient on both sides," said CSUSB police chief Jimmie Brown. "It's not about generating revenue, it's about expanding job opportunities and saving the taxpayer money."
To meet the demand, Chaffey's campus police department is now working with Cal State San Bernardino's police department to provide a shared police dispatch service.
"This consolidation is a great way for both departments to save money in these difficult budgetary times and also a good way to become more efficient on both sides," said CSUSB police chief Jimmie Brown. "It's not about generating revenue, it's about expanding job opportunities and saving the taxpayer money."
Headquartered at the CSUSB campus police station, the recently upgraded dispatch center is open around the clock, seven days a week, to meet the needs of 20,000 staff, faculty and students at Cal State San Bernardino and a similar number at Chaffey, which has campuses in Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana and Chino.
Brown proposed the idea of such a partnership to Bob Gardner, CSUSB vice president of administration and finance, about a year ago.
The university subsequently brought all the community colleges together and did a presentation on their dispatch center and the services it could offer. Chaffey was immediately responsive to the idea.
Because of staffing and budget issues, the Chaffey dispatch center was only open from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Thursday and from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, prior to making the recent change.
"We were basically using a low-tech way to handle our dispatching," said David Ramirez, chief of police for the Chaffey police department. "So when we learned about this we were ecstatic, because they have a high caliber staff and the latest and greatest dispatch software."
The communications center is fully staffed by certified emergency dispatchers, including seven full-time and two part-time.
Since the center launched Sept. 1, more than 1,800 incidents have been logged into the police department's database.
Dispatchers collect both emergency and general information. The calls coming in typically range from students needing assistance to on-campus crime.
Three more agencies are now considering consolidating with the CSUSB police department for dispatch services, according to Gardner.
There could also be other combining of resources, such as police investigations and training.
It is a win-win situation for all involved, he said.
"Our constant challenge during these times of fiscal constraint is to think of ways we can deliver the same quality of public safety services to our students, faculty and staff, yet at a lower cost," he said. "This project does that and serves as a model for others to follow."
Brown proposed the idea of such a partnership to Bob Gardner, CSUSB vice president of administration and finance, about a year ago.
The university subsequently brought all the community colleges together and did a presentation on their dispatch center and the services it could offer. Chaffey was immediately responsive to the idea.
Because of staffing and budget issues, the Chaffey dispatch center was only open from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Thursday and from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, prior to making the recent change.
"We were basically using a low-tech way to handle our dispatching," said David Ramirez, chief of police for the Chaffey police department. "So when we learned about this we were ecstatic, because they have a high caliber staff and the latest and greatest dispatch software."
The communications center is fully staffed by certified emergency dispatchers, including seven full-time and two part-time.
Since the center launched Sept. 1, more than 1,800 incidents have been logged into the police department's database.
Dispatchers collect both emergency and general information. The calls coming in typically range from students needing assistance to on-campus crime.
Three more agencies are now considering consolidating with the CSUSB police department for dispatch services, according to Gardner.
There could also be other combining of resources, such as police investigations and training.
It is a win-win situation for all involved, he said.
"Our constant challenge during these times of fiscal constraint is to think of ways we can deliver the same quality of public safety services to our students, faculty and staff, yet at a lower cost," he said. "This project does that and serves as a model for others to follow."
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