Communications

The Communications Division of the UNLV Department of Public Safety is the center of communications for the Public Safety Department and the university campus.

Communication officers receive thousands of phone calls per year for information, services, and complaints as well as responding to 911 calls. Most initial contacts with the public concerning a call for service is made by telephone. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, the ability to prioritize several tasks, think clearly in stressful situations, and make rational decisions are essential duties of the communications personnel.

DPS communications personnel are, as are all dispatch personnel in the State of Nevada, required to be certified in National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and Shared Computer Operation for Protection and Enforcement (SCOPE) Telecommunications. Communication officers must successfully complete a POST Certified training course in Las Vegas, Nevada in order to receive each of the required certifications. NCIC certification must be renewed every two years by attending an 8 hour in service training class.

An officer’s radio is one of the most important tools at his/her disposal. The DPS radio system is an 800mHz EDACS system with a multitude of channels and a wide array of frequencies. UNLV DPS is one of the first state public safety agencies with this state of the art capability. DPS manages UNLV's radio system. When UNLV joined the statewide cooperative effort with NDOT and Nevada Power, UNLV and DPS obtained statewide communications capabilities through a shared network of repeaters and frequencies located throughout the State of Nevada.

Our Automated Records Management System (ARMS) v5 is the computer program used for Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) purposes. CAD makes tracking calls, officers' activity, and retrieval of case information both past and present easier and efficient.

The CJIS/NCIC (Criminal Justice Information System / National Crime Information Center) computer is an invaluable law enforcement tool. CJIS is a direct line to the crime data base maintained by the Nevada State Highway Patrol (NHP) in Carson City, Nevada. NCIC is an indirect line to the crime database maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Washington DC. Information regarding stolen property, domestic violence orders (Nevada only), missing or wanted persons, driver’s license, vehicle registration, and a wealth of other information can be obtained from any state in the United States. The communication officer on duty has the responsibility for obtaining any needed information from this computer. The communication staff also has access to a county-wide criminal records terminal (SCOPE). This automated computer system maintains all criminal histories, warrants/summons, as reported by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in our service area.

Communication officers monitor a 24 hour closed circuit camera survelliance system and a 24 hour alarm system which handles both fire and security alarms. Most UNLV fire and security alarms are monitored by our system. We also monitor alarms from the Desert Research Institute (DRI). With a direct line to the Fire Department, in the event of a fire alarm, it is the responsibility of the communication officer on duty to notify the fire department; medical and rescue services.

Our 911 phone lines are enhanced to identify both the phone number and the location of the caller, except for some cell phones. In the event that the call is disconnected, we know where to send the officer, whether we know the nature of the problem or not. We encourage everyone to keep in mind that 911 is an EMERGENCY number and should be used only in the event of an actual emergency.

Communications also monitors a system of 64 Emergency Call Boxes located strategically throughout the campus. This network of emergency telephones, identified by bright blue lights on top of the phones, provides immediate and direct access to the communications center. These are hands free telephones and when activated, automatically provides the dispatcher with the location of the telephone once the large red call button is pressed.