The Communications Division is under the command of PSAP and Police Records Manager Brian Cannon and consists of the Communications Center and the Records Unit.

Communications Center

The 911 communications center is the public safety answering point for the incorporated city limits of Newark, Delaware. The center answers emergency and non-emergency calls for service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as well as, calls for city utility emergencies after regular business hours. Police emergencies are dispatched to officers on-duty and requests for medical and fire services are connected to the New Castle County Fireboard by the dispatcher. The dispatcher remains on the line to determine if police services are also needed. Communications officers are often handling multiple tasks simultaneously. Dispatchers also monitor the city camera system as well as maintaining active warrants to include filing, entering, updating and clearing them in the criminal justice system. The dispatch center is staffed by (12) communications officers and a center manager, who also oversees the records department. Three dispatchers are assigned to each shift with a minimal staffing level of (2) dispatchers on all shifts. In 2017 dispatchers processed over 70,000 phone calls and 50,000 calls for service. The communications center is also responsible for the maintenance and operation of the department’s mobile command post. This unit is used primarily for special events held within the city and may also be used in the event of a prolonged incident. During these events, the mobile command post is operated and staffed by a dispatcher. The mobile command unit has full dispatch capability including CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch), two-way radio, internet, and phones.

Records Unit

The records department is staffed by one full-time and two part-time Records Clerks and is managed by the Police Communications and Records Manager. The records office is staffed Monday – Friday during regular business hours. The records department is the first point of contact for walk-in matters to the police department and maintains the police information window. The staff are also responsible for maintaining police reports and supporting documents, processing requests for copies of reports, data entry, and providing discovery for court cases.