Retiring officer leaves legacy of communications

Last modified 7/22/2008 - 12:36 am
Originally created 072308
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By DREW DIXON, Shorelines

NEPTUNE BEACH - A veteran of three decades at the city's police department, Lt. Joan Hermann retired Friday, but not before leaving the department's communication system in better shape than she found it.

Hermann, 68, has been in charge of the Police Services Division, which includes dispatchers. She stepped down after 31 years on the job, and she's leaving a legacy that includes a better dispatch center and better communications for officers.

The Police Department last week implemented a new Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management System that Hermann helped to select and launch July 13.

"We have had computers in the police car for some time, it's just that everything was handwritten in the office," Hermann said, noting that now everything is centralized through the new $85,000 computer system, paid for with a federal Justice Assistance Grant.

Now, when a dispatcher enters data into the system, either relayed to them from field officers or their own information, the computer system stores everything.

"Dispatch picks up the phone, it automatically pulls up an address," Hermann said. "Everything is computerized. Eventually it will be direct and automatically linked to officers in the field."

The new system, from Executive Information Systems based in Idaho, stores data on police service calls as well as information about residents at different homes to help officers who may be responding to a call, Hermann said.

"When you give me an address and I put it in there, it verifies the address. It also has notations of special needs, such as oxygen or wheelchair assistance or if someone has a heart condition, among other issues," she said.

The system also tracks the amount of time it takes for an officer to work a call or gives geographic breakdowns of crime trends in an area.

"It can be printed up right there for officers. It's information that's readily available rather than having to do hand searches for everything," Hermann said.

Police Chief David Sembach said the system has been flawless.

"It moves us from the '50s and '60s into the 21st Century," he said. "We had outdated computer systems. So much of it was done by hand.

"This will free us up. These [dispatchers] won't have to do double or triple work. The first time they enter it into the system, it will be the last time."

Getting the system was Hermann's last major project at the department before she retired. She started in the department as an administrative assistant for former Chief Howard Basil in 1977 after serving as a dispatcher at the Atlantic Beach Police Department. Atlantic Beach used to serve as a dispatch center for both cities until 1981, when Neptune Beach opted for its own dispatchers for the force of four officers, Hermann said.

As Neptune Beach eventually grew into a force of 20 officers, Hermann helped guide the growth.

"I stayed in my position and I trained all the people to be dispatchers. I was the fill-in. If someone got sick or went on vacation, I would close my door and go in and talk on the radio," she said.

Watching the changes and dealing with them as the department grew has been a privilege, Hermann said.

"It's been a wonderful ride. Things have come along and the old dogs are learning new tricks. Even the radios have changed. We're on 800 megahertz right now. We used to be on UHF."

While the technical changes help, Hermann said Neptune Beach police remain committed to basic community patrolling.

"To be very honest, Neptune Beach was doing community policing before anyone knew what it was. People were so comfortable with Neptune Beach police, they used to call in and ask for officers by their first name," she said.

Sembach acknowledged it will be tough to replace Hermann, if that can ever be done.

"Every agency or every company has one person that makes that company run. Joan is a 4-foot-11-inch spark plug and there's nothing in this department she doesn't know. I don't know how I'm going to replace her and I don't know if I can replace her," said Sembach.

Drew Dixon can also be reached at (904) 249-4947, ext. 6313.