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Portland Police Department| 109 Middle Street | Portland, Maine 04101 | (207) 874-8479

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information services

Computer Services Emergency Communications 911 Procedures Records

Within any police department, the gathering, analyzing, and dissemination of information is a critical function. Today, however, law enforcement has moved well beyond paper and pencil and investigative notebooks. In the information age, electronic handling of data makes police officers better prepared, more efficient, and tremendously more effective.

COMPUTER SERVICES

15 years ago, the Portland Police Department had a handful of personal computers that acted solely as word processors. Today, we have a network of more than 200 computers that link officers in cruisers, detectives, dispatch, records, the courts and state and federal databases.

This advancement places great strain on an organization to procure the best hardware and software, create and maintain a network, and train all employees to utilize the technology. Every day this Department moves forward with the capable help of the staff in Computer Services.

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

The dispatchers and operators attached to this unit are responsible for answering the calls received requesting the Police, Fire Department and MEDCU. A list of our current frequencies can be found here.

The fine men and women of this unit receive the calls, log the information in the computer in the Computer Aided Dispatch program and then send the appropriate response to the citizens needing assistance. This is done on a priority basis with serious calls in progress being dispatched first. This is a daunting task as last year over 62,460 calls for service were received and dispatched by Portland Police Dispatchers.

As of 1998, a majority of our Operators and Dispatchers have been trained and received certification in the Emergency Medical Dispatch program. In a medical emergency, the operator is able to stay on the line with the caller and is able to dispense first aid advice in order to stabilize the victim, as the ambulance and Fire Unit and/or Police Unit are racing to the scene.

911 PROCEDURES

• 9-1-1 is an emergency telephone number that provides IMMEDIATE and DIRECT access to FIRE, POLICE AND MEDICAL SERVICES.
• Call 9-1-1 to report a crime, a fire, a heart attach, a serious injury or any situation requiring the IMMEDIATE response of a FIRE TRUCK, AMBULANCE or POLICE CAR.
• When you call the 9-1-1 operator needs to know:

1. THE PHONE NUMBER YOU ARE AT.
2. THE ADDRESS WHERE YOU ARE
3. NATURE OF THE PROBLEM
4. IMPORTANT: CALL 9-1-1 FIRST IN ANY EMERGENCY SITUATION

• STAY ON THE TELEPHONE-DO NOT HANG UP, Operator will ask you for specific information regarding your emergency.
• DO NOT CALL 9-1-1 for road/travel and severe weather information, repair for household appliances, car breakdowns, littering, pets up a tree or roaming free, legal advice, etc. CALL 9-1-1 ONLY FOR SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE.
• All non-emergency calls may be directed to 874-8300 or the Community Policing Centers: Parkside-756-8137, Munjoy Hill-756-8135 or Midtown-772-1371
• TDD# 874-8911 for the hearing impaired

RECORDS

As with any organization comprised of more than 200 people, the Portland Police Department generates a great deal of paperwork. It's the responsibility of the PPD's Records Department to ensure the organized and efficient maintenance of all police records. The Records Department, whose documentation covers every imaginable angle of police interaction, is also in charge of the dissemination of police reports for use both within and without the department.

Need Information?

What do I need to get a background check?

• We can only supply a background check on you, to yourself. We can not do a background check on a third party. You must supply a valid photo ID. There is a $10.00 fee and there is a 24 hour waiting period.

How do I check to see how many times the police have responded to a particular address and why?

• We will supply you with this information which shall be edited to remove victims and complainants names. For this type information there is a $25.00 fee and a 24 hour waiting period.

How do I get a copy of a police report?

• We only supply this information to the victim, an insurance company or an attorney representing the victim. There is a $10.00 fee and a 24 hour waiting period.

Arrest reports for defendants shall be gotten through the District Attorney's Office.

Arrest record information for employers, businesses, etc. shall be gotten through the Maine State Bureau of Identification in Augusta. We only supply arrest information of individuals to those individuals themselves.