Calling Car Who?

A little background info here. Each officer in our county has a unit (car) number. Several years ago when I first started there was no rhyme or reason to the numbering system. About a year after I was on, they reorganized the system. They designated each town with district numbers and then those officers were given a correlating number... example, I work in District 2; so our Chief is 2 and all the officers were in the 20s. Any reserve officer would be in the 200s... Since I was only on for a year the change was very easy to adjust to. However; with the growth of departments, we were running out of numbers. Our newest officer would have been 29, so where do we go from there. A new Sheriff was elected and he got together with some of the Police Chiefs. They revamped our numbering system, still keeping in line with the district numbers. The change is not so easy this time. I have used the same numbers for some 13 years now.... whats the saying? Old habits are hard to break.

So here is what my day sounds like..... Keep in mind that the change started July 1st and I have been on vacation off and on since then, which makes getting used to the new numbers more difficult...

First thing in the morning I get a complaint. I key up the mic to dispatch the detail:

"20. PD" (not realizing I just called the wrong number)

the officer answers "20. go ahead" (he didn't realize either)

When I hear him call in I realize I used the wrong number so I correct myself.

"202. Respond to such and such for whatever complaint"

He catches on and clears me with his new correct unit number.


Now this is where it gets a little tricky. Listening to the scanner I hear the county call 101. I think to myself, "101? Whats that reserve officer doing out at this time of day?" Well, it's not a reserve officer. It's the Sheriff's Chief Deputy.

When I mistakenly call my officer "20" the county dispatchers are wondering why I am calling the now "Jail Commander" ...rolling my eyes at the insanity...


But wait, it gets better. As of July 2nd our Chief of 20 some years retired. With that goes some shifting and adjusting within our department set up.

Problem 1: the changing of unit numbers

Problem 2: the phone/ intercom system and the officers changing offices

Here is what it is like for me to transfer a call.....


201 (who used to be 21) has intercom #6118... but that used to be the voicemail for 22 (now 203). 206's intercom is #2256, but #2256 is also the voicemail of 203. 206 voicemail is #2266, but that used to be the intercom for 201. Now #2266 is the intercom for 255.... and still the voice mail for 206 ...confused yet? I am... 2, has the voicemail and intercom #6106, but used to have #2239. #2239 is now the voicemail/ intercom for 250..... round and round we go...


One would think that I could just key up the radio and call the officer I need... One would think. But they rarely have their radios on when they are in the building.... which is a huge pet peeve of mine because if you are on duty you should be available by radio at ALL times... unless otherwise specified to dispatch and then advised when you are back on the radio.... but that's a whole other post...


The simple solution would be to assign everyone the same voicemail number to correlate with their unit number.... Some officers share offices so I understand why 2 officer share an intercom number..... but then again, there are some officers that share an office and have individual intercom numbers.... shaking my head, dropping it to my hands...