Police Dispatcher I / Police Communications Operator

Salary: Depends on Qualifications
Location : Anaheim Police Department, CA
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 2026-00107
Department: Police
Opening Date: 05/28/2026
Closing Date: 6/18/2026 5:00 PM Pacific


Description
Police Dispatcher I $38.23 - $46.47 Hourly

$79,518.40 - $96,657.60 Annually
Police Communications Operator $30.34 - $38.72 Hourly

$63,107.20 - $80,537.60 Annually
Upcoming 3% salary increase effective June 2026
The Anaheim Police Department invites you to experience a challenging and rewarding career as a Police Dispatcher I / Police Communications Operator . Committed to serving our community through teamwork and the constant pursuit of excellence, you will demonstrate the values of the organization by providing a high level of customer service, exercise independent judgment, and make sound decisions in emergency situations.


The ideal candidate will:

• Effectively communicate with, and elicit information from distressed and irate callers and communicate emergency instructions over the telephone
• Effectively use a wide variety of public safety codes and computer commands
• Operate dispatch-related equipment quickly, accurately and, at times, concurrently
• Understand and follow oral and written instructions, including department policies and procedures
• Accurately spell and maintain complete files and records
• Coordinate and relay emergency call information and assistance requests to other agencies, such as fire and police departments, utility companies, service agencies, and other inter-agency departments.

The department has sole discretion to hire at the Police Dispatcher I or Police Communications Operator level based on experience and available vacancies.

Essential Functions
The following functions are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed functions and/or may be required to perform additional or different functions from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.


To view the full job description for the Dispatcher I, click
To view the full job description for the Police Communications Operator, click

Qualifications

Police Dispatcher I
Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities are as follows:


Experience:
Performing high-volume public contact work.


Knowledge of:
English usage and spelling; record keeping methods; principles of human relations; and basic safety precautions and procedures.


Ability to:
Learn the functions of the position; act quickly in an emergency and adopt an effective course of action; work under stress, dealing with emergency situations; speak clearly and concisely; listen to and record information clearly and accurately; remember numerous details; read, understand and apply moderately difficult materials; understand and carry out oral and written instructions; operate a computer keyboard to enter, receive and manipulate associated data; type a minimum of 50 words per minute without errors; establish and maintain effective relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Police Communications Operator
Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities are as follows:


Experience: Prior experience that includes heavy public contact as a telephone operator, receptionist, police cadet, or related position, is required.

Knowledge of: English usage and spelling, basic telephone procedures and techniques, and principles of effective verbal communication.

Ability to: Type 50 net wpm quickly and accurately on a computer keyboard; write quickly and legibly; speak clearly and distinctly; remain calm in crises and high stress situations; solicit required information from callers; receive confidential information and maintain confidentiality; understand pertinent procedures and functions quickly and apply them without immediate supervision; establish and maintain effective relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Environmental Conditions: Exposure to high-frequency noise.

Physical Conditions: Work is performed in an office environment utilizing modern office equipment and technology and may require sitting for prolonged periods of time using a computer. The incumbent stands, walks, and may twist, reach, bend, crouch and kneel. An incumbent must be able to meet the requirements of the classification and have mobility, vision, hearing and dexterity levels appropriate to the duties to be performed.
NOTE : Must be available to work assigned shifts, including weekends and holidays.

Employees of the Anaheim Police Department must be permanent and full-time residents of the State of California and live within a one hundred (100) mile radius of the City of Anaheim.

License/Certification Required:
Possession of a valid California Driver's License by date of appointment.

Supplemental Information
IMPORTANT APPLICATION INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

Applications will be accepted until Thursday, June 18 , 2026 a t 5:00 PM. Applicants are encouraged to apply early. Applications will not be accepted after this deadline.


Performance Exam - The performance exam is a computer-based work simulation test that measures the general aptitudes needed to be a dispatcher. No prior dispatch experience is necessary to pass the test. For additional information regarding the performance exam review, please visit their website:


Performance Exam Waiver Request :
The City of Anaheim will not accept other agency letters as a waiver. CritiCall modules can vary from agency to agency.

Performance Exam Scoring
This is a pass/fail exam. The test module scores are weighted to account for correct responses to the decision-making scenario prompts. Applicants must pass all 12 test modules to successfully complete the performance exam and move to the oral panel interview.

The following documents are required and must be completed and brought to the oral interview:

• Preliminary Background Information Form / PHS
• Background Investigation Questionnaire (BIQ)
• Required Documents
• Applicant Autobiography

Please provide as many of the required documents along with your Preliminary Background Information Form / PHS, BIQ, and Applicant Autobiography. Items such as transcripts, credit report or other missing documents can be provided upon your receiving them.


Further selection steps include, but are not limited to a background investigation, polygraph examination, psychological evaluation, a medical examination, which includes drug/alcohol screening, and an interview with the Chief of Police. The interview with the background investigator and completion of the background investigation will include, but is not limited to, verification and evaluation of any present and/or past use of drugs, driving and employment history.


Please review the following common disqualifiers. If any items listed pertain to you, you will be automatically disqualified in the background investigation. You may, at this time, want to screen yourself and withdraw prior to starting the recruitment process.

• Any illegal use, sales, or possession of a drug classified as an opiate (heroin, opium, etc.) or PCP.
• Any use of cocaine, methamphetamine, hallucinogens (GHB, MDMA/ecstasy, ketamine, etc.) within five years of date of application.
• Any illegal use of anabolic steroids within three years of date of application.
• Two or more at-fault traffic collisions within three years of the date of application.
• Conviction of a hit-and run offense.
• Any driver's license suspension within five years of date of application.
• Conviction of a felony crime.
• Conviction of any misdemeanor crime within five years of application.
• Any conviction as an adult, of any misdemeanor crime involving domestic violence, sexual-related offenses or crimes against children.
• Any conviction as an adult, of a theft or larceny crime.

The following may result in disqualification:

• Use of cocaine, methamphetamine, hallucinogens (GHB, MDMA/ecstasy, ketamine, etc.) previous to five years of application.
• Prior nitrous oxide use.
• Illegal use of anabolic steroids previous to three years of application.
• Illegal use of a hypodermic needle/ syringe.
• A pattern or history of irresponsibility as evidenced by debt collections, civil judgments, failure to pay, late payments, etc.
• More than one moving violation in the past 12 months, and/or three or more moving citations within the past three years, and/or five or more moving citations within the past five years of date of application.

Candidates must be specific and complete in describing their qualifications for this position. Stating "See Resume" is not an acceptable substitute for a completed application. Failure to state all pertinent information may lead to elimination from consideration.


The City of Anaheim uses E-Verify and new employees must provide documentation to establish both work authorization and identity.


Communication regarding your application and/or status will be sent to the email address listed on your application. Please check your email regularly throughout the recruitment process.


Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Anaheim offers a range of benefit programs for employees and their eligible dependents. These include health, dental, vision, and life insurance, as well as a variety of voluntary benefits. Programs and benefits amounts vary and are based on bargaining unit, family size, hire date, plan selection, and number of hours worked.

To view the current benefits summary, visit:

For additional information about the City's benefits, visit:


RETIREMENT BENEFITS - The City contracts with the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) to provide retirement benefits. Retirement formula is based on appointment date and membership status with CalPERS.


Note : Pension contribution limitations are set by CalPERS each calendar year, with compensation limit requirements for Public Employee Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) members and Classic members. Employee contributions will be deposited into a 401(a) account after reaching this limit. Employees with CalPERS membership dates prior to July 1, 1996 are not impacted by these limits.


To view the current limits and additional CalPERS information, visit:


01


The following Supplemental Questionnaire is part of the examination for this position and will be used to evaluate your qualifications. Based upon the application and responses to the supplemental questionnaire, the best qualified candidates will be invited to participate in the recruitment process. Please read each question carefully and provide a thorough and complete response, detailing your education and work experience. Failure to fully detail all experience or stating experience in response to the supplemental questions but not listing the experience in the application, copy/pasting information, or responses such as "See Resume" or "See Application" will result in your application not being considered. You will not have an opportunity to provide additional information if your application is not selected to proceed in the recruitment process, so you should be sure to detail all relevant education and work experience within your application and supplemental questionnaire. Do you understand this requirement?

• Yes
• No

02


Our primary means of communication about candidate recruitment status is email. Have you provided a valid email address that you can access regularly? PLEASE NOTE: Make sure you check your JUNK folder for email messages that were incorrectly marked as spam.

• I acknowledge I have read and understand the above information.

03


I certify that I have read and understand the Automatic and Discretionary Disqualifiers associated with this position.

• Yes
• No

04


The following background documents are required and must be completed and brought to the oral interview. - Preliminary Background Information Form - Background Investigation Questionnaire (BIQ) - Required Documents - Applicant Autobiography PLEASE NOTE: You can access these documents via the links provided in the Supplemental Information section of the current job announcement.

• I acknowledge I have read and understand the above information.

05


Do you possess a valid CA Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Public Safety Dispatcher Basic Certificate?

• Yes
• No

06


a) You must respond courteously, calmly and effectively to telephone calls when someone is rude, drunk, irrational, confused, using obscene language, and/or screaming at you. b) You must respond effectively to telephone calls when a violent or highly emotional situation is taking place. c) When a caller expects police or fire service, you may be required to tell them that they will not be receiving that service. Are you willing and able to work under all of these conditions?

• Yes
• No

07


a) You must efficiently handle multiple tasks at one time. b) One or more person's safety may depend on your ability to make quick, logical, accurate decisions. c) You must answer and respond to telephone calls in which the caller is difficult to understand. d) You will be required to wear a headset for your entire shift. e) You must keep calm during critical incidents. This means that you must also keep your voice well modulated and somewhat monotone to convey a sense of calm. f) You must attend mandated training classes, even if they are on your normal days off. Are you willing and able to work in all of these conditions?

• Yes
• No

08


a) Police Dispatch is a 7 day a week operation. You must be available to work assigned shifts, which includes nights, weekends and holidays. b) You may be required to work all holidays in a given time period. For instance, your workdays may fall on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. c) While in training, you will be given no choice about which shift you are assigned to work or which days you work. d) You may be required to change your work shift and/or days off, or cancel holiday plans with minimal notice. e) There may be times you will be mandated to work overtime, required to stay late, or come in on your time off. Do you understand this work schedule requirement?

• Yes
• No

09


a) Depending on the workload, there will be times when you will be unable to leave your work site during your shift. b) You may be unable to schedule your own lunch and you may be required to eat at your workstation. c) You will be unable to smoke inside the building. d) This position, located in the Police Department, has a para-military work environment. You may be required to wear standardized apparel and work through a structured "chain of command." e) Employees may experience periods of very slow activity followed by periods of very intense activity. You must be able to fully concentrate and focus your attention no matter what is happening at the time. f) There is little control over the workload or space. g) You must be able to accept a daily critique of your job performance and modify your actions accordingly. h) You must be able to work in a small, confined work area for your entire shift. Do you understand these work condition requirements?

• Yes
• No

10


Do you have experience performing high volume public contact work?

• Yes
• No

11


Describe in detail your experience performing high-volume public contact work. If you do not have this experience, please type N/A. PLEASE NOTE: All responses will be verified with your application.
12


Is any of your experience in a public safety dispatch/telecommunications environment?

• Yes
• No

13


Describe in detail your experience performing high-volume public contact work in a public safety dispatch/telecommunications environment. If you do not have this experience, please type N/A. PLEASE NOTE: All responses will be verified with your application.
Required Question