5 ways information reaches BYU Police

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Telephone: An individual can call the BYU Police Department directly or dial 911 to reach the Provo Police Department and then be transferred to the BYU Police Dispatch Center.

TELEPHONE EXAMPLE: When there was a fatal accident on North Campus Drive, witnesses called in the accident. The BYU Police dispatcher gathered as much information as possible and sent officers to the scene. Although dispatchers don’t normally make decisions in the field, the dispatcher decided to notify Provo EMS of the accident.

Alarm: Information can reach BYU Police through the alarm system. When an alarm is triggered, the dispatcher will gather information, monitor any cameras near the alarm and notify officers.

ALARM EXAMPLE: The BYU Police used a portable alarm system when a shipment of new computers was stored in the Tanner Building. A person broke into the room with all the new computers and saw the alarm sensor in a small 3 x 4 inch black box. More intrigued by the little black box than the new computers, the person stole the alarm sensor and left the computers. The alarm went off, dispatch notified an officer and the person was found by BYU Police on the street carrying the alarm.

Camera: Many cameras on BYU campus act as an alarm. When one of the 800 cameras feeding into the BYU Police Dispatch Center is triggered, the dispatcher gathers information, monitors the cameras and sends officers into the field. The dispatcher relays any new information they see on the cameras to the officers.

CAMERA EXAMPLE: Cameras are located throughout LaVell Edwards Stadium, including three thermal imaging cameras. When the dispatcher was notified individuals were trespassing in the stadium, the dispatcher sent officers to catch them. When the trespassers ran and hid, the dispatcher pulled up the thermal imaging cameras, tracked their heat signature and fed that information directly to the officer so they could find the trespassers.

In-Person: An individual can come directly to the BYU Police Station on campus. The individual can come to the front desk, fill out a form and the dispatcher will then be notified and send an officer to work with the individual.

IN-PERSON EXAMPLE: When an individual comes to the BYU Police Station to report a bike theft they are given a form to fill out. The dispatcher sends a nearby officer to the front desk to look over the form, ask questions and cut a report.

On-Scene: Officers may already be near the scene of a crime or accident when it happens. In this case, the officer will take control of the situation, notify the dispatcher to explain the situation in detail. The dispatcher will then repeat the information back to the officer to avoid any miscommunication. After that, the officer will tell the dispatcher if they need more officers sent to the scene.

ON-SCENE EXAMPLE: An officer was on foot patrol at the Smith Fieldhouse after hours when he saw two individuals who had broken into the building and were stealing shirts. A foot chase began and the officer caught the two individuals in the tunnel system of the building. The officer radioed the information to the dispatcher and asked for more officers to be sent to the scene. The dispatcher repeated the information back to the officer and notified additional officers.

BYU Police Dispatcher: The dispatcher’s main responsibility is to get as much information as possible and push that information out to officers in the field.

Officers: After receiving the information from the dispatcher, the officers will make the decisions in the field and prioritize what needs to happen.

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