Our visit to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office was full of useful information. J.D. Callaway, the SO’s Public Information Officer (and USF graduate), gave an informed lecture on the process that most reporters go through to obtain information on criminal activity and arrests. From a News Release, to an Arrest Report, to Incident Reports and Criminal Report Affidavits (CRA), there is a wealth of information for reporters to sort through. Callaway noted that a common mistake reporters make is not obtaining the CRA, which often contains the officer’s notes, evidence lists, and lots of other useful nuggets of info.
Another topic Callaway addressed was the immediacy of reporting driven by the surge of internet news. He noted that the SO had to be cautious with what was said over the radio, as reporter’s listening to the scanners may write stories that are incomplete, or worse, inaccurate. What is said over a scanner, he cautioned, may be completely reverse of the reality of a situation. That leads the SO and dispatcher’s to carefully monitor what they are saying on the scanners, but I would add that the reporters have the additional responsibility to do some fact-checking before posting something on the web where millions of readers could potentially access it. Another overlooked source of info was search warrants, which are public record. Half of the warrants, Callaway says, don’t result in an arrest.
Then we took a brief tour, leading past the records department to the “War Room”. On the way Callaway told some facts about the county and the SO, such as it’s the 9th largest county in the nation, with approximately 920 square miles. The SO used to be the central location, but that much of the operations are now decentralized.
Also, he noted booking videos are public records, and the deluge of requests to see the booking of American Idol contestant Jessica Sierra.
The “War Room” is a small conference room with telephones and computers that serves multiple functions. “Roll Call” and briefing meetings happen there twice a day, and it’s used as a classroom, for training new phone agents for 911 and dispatch calls. But it also can be used to coordinate in case of an emergency, such as a hurricane.
The 911 center employs about 120-130 agents total, with 22-25 on a shift at a time. The center receives about a million calls a year, with about 60,000 of those actually hitting the streets. Landline phones go to certain stations based on the first three numbers (not the area code). Cellphone calls generally depend on the user’s proximity to a tower. These calls can be tracked to a general area, but technology does not yet help them pinpoint exact locations.
We also learned how incoming calls have lists of who’s responsible for policing, fire, and ambulance services in the area the call came from, so the call can be forwarded if necessary (although it was noted the 911 operator stays on the line). Also, arial views of the call area can be shown to determine entrance/exit points, in the event of a hostage situation, etc.
The meeting concluded with a discussion of Reverse 911, a program in which the phone agents are able to target an area and call for emergency notifications. Reasons for such a service may include neighborhood emergency situations such as a hazardous chemical or gas leak, a natural disaster prompting evacuations, missing person alerts, or criminal notifications such as sexual predators moving to the neighborhood, or whether a fugitive is in the area.
The trip was very interesting, albeit a bit short. I would’ve like to seen the records room. I am also anticipating the visits to the jail and the courthouse, to see what the differences in records between the three agencies are.
Meet You Further Up The Road,
Brentin