MISSION STATEMENT:

The Communications Division of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department is dedicated to serving the citizens of Jefferson County and the criminal justice community courteously and efficiently.

The communications center receives many calls for service. The type of calls vary widely. Some callers are simply requesting information while others are reporting a serious crime. Calls are received on 9-1-1 as well as non-emergency lines. When the emergency service requested is other than law enforcement, the telecommunications operator (TCO) must direct the call to one of the six volunteer fire services or emergency medical services. When a call is received from a cellular phone, it is especially important for the caller to be able to give an exact location where assistance is needed. The city, street/highway, or a landmark should be given.

When reporting an incident, the TCO is normally the first person with whom a citizen has contact. Many times the caller does not understand the reason for the questions the TCO may ask. The caller is involved in a situation that is very emotional, frightening or dangerous and their only concern is getting help. The responding officer must decide what actions he or she should take based on the information given to him/her by the TCO. The officer must consider not only his or her safety but also the safety of citizens involved. They must have as much information as possible prior to their arrival.

In addition to providing assistance and information to our officers on the Sheriff's Department radio frequency, we monitor three additional radio frequencies.

The TCO retrieves information from and enters information into the Texas Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (TLETS) and National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS) for other Criminal Justice agencies as well as all divisions of the Sheriff's Department.

Many logs and records are maintained in the Communications Center. Each time an officer is dispatched on a call, a computerized request for service is completed. There are records of all stolen vehicles, guns and articles and wanted or missing persons that the department has entered into the Texas Crime Information Center (TCIC) National Crime information Center (NCIC).

While the duties of a TCO are many and varied, we are a support division. Our primary purpose is to serve and assist the citizens of Jefferson County and the Criminal Justice community.