Conflicting Plate Readback for a Reckless Driver
At 16:08, a caller reports a reckless driver: 'Black Honda Civic, plate X-ray John 4 2 7 Kilo, northbound on Flatbush Avenue near Avenue J, weaving, just nearly hit a cyclist.' The caller is in traffic and the line is noisy. When the dispatcher reads the plate back as 'XJ4-27K,' the caller says, 'No, wait-I think the last two are 7-2, not 2-7. Actually, it might be XJ4-72K. I'm not sure.' The caller then adds: 'There's a dent on the rear bumper and a yellow sticker on the back window.' The vehicle is now stopped at a red light about two blocks ahead. The caller cannot safely stay on the line and hangs up after 40 seconds. The dispatcher has the caller's number and a partial location. Another caller at the same intersection later says the Honda turned east onto Avenue J.
1. What exactly would you read back and record after the first description, and how would you handle the caller's correction?
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After the first description I would read back: 'Black Honda Civic, plate X-J-4-2-7-K, northbound Flatbush near Avenue J, weaving, nearly hit a cyclist.' I would ask the caller to confirm each group: 'X-ray, John, four, two, seven, Kilo.'
When the caller corrects to 7-2, I would not silently overwrite the first entry. I would read back both possibilities separately: 'So it could be XJ4-2-7-K or XJ4-7-2-K, and you are not sure which?' In CAD I would preserve both variants and mark the plate field as conflicting or uncertain, rather than entering one as fact. I would also ask whether the caller can see the plate again or a partial photo. If not, the broadcast should tell units the plate is uncertain and give the vehicle description.
2. Distinguish confirmed, conflicting, and unconfirmed information in this report; explain how each should be represented in CAD.
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Confirmed by caller observation
Black Honda Civic, northbound on Flatbush near Avenue J, weaving, rear-bumper dent, yellow sticker on back window. These are things the caller reported seeing; they still go in as caller-reported, not independently verified.
Conflicting
Plate order: XJ4-27K versus XJ4-72K. This must be shown as a conflict, not averaged or guessed.
Unconfirmed
Exact plate, whether the vehicle is definitely a Honda Civic, and whether it actually struck or nearly struck the cyclist. The second caller later supplies a possible eastbound turn on Avenue J, which is also unconfirmed until an officer observes it.
In CAD I would use 'possible' and 'conflicting' language, keep the two plate variants visible, and avoid stating 'plate confirmed' or 'vehicle eastbound confirmed.'
3. The second caller provides a new direction. How do you update the broadcast without overstating certainty?
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I would broadcast an update with source and time: 'Update, 16:10, second caller reports the black Honda may have turned east on Avenue J from Flatbush. Original caller reported northbound Flatbush. Plate remains conflicting XJ4-27K or XJ4-72K. Use caution; direction not confirmed.'
Why: the new direction changes the search area, but it comes from a different caller and has not been verified. I would not say 'vehicle is eastbound' as a fact. I would keep the original northbound information visible so units understand the conflict, and I would ask the second caller, if still available, whether the turn was before or after Avenue J and what the plate looked like.