Jill Price

Jill Price has had jobs that run the gamut in the law enforcement arena and, consequently, she has a well-rounded and intrinsic understanding of the various facets of public safety. Originally from Milwaukee, she comes from a law enforcement family. Both her parents live in Milwaukee, and she has one brother and one sister. Her father is a retired police sergeant, her brother is a police sergeant and her sister works as an office assistant.

Price’s 19-year career with the Milwaukee Police Department encompassed various roles. She served a as a police aide for two years, a police officer for seven years, a police dispatcher for two years and then went on to work on the civilian side as a dispatcher for eight years.

Having been a police officer herself, Price understood, as a dispatcher, what officers needed. “I knew what they needed. I was able to provide the resources,” Price says.

What she liked least about the job was the amount of stress caused by the high call volume.

She recalls several police chases during which she stayed on the air with the officers to get them the help they needed at the time. “That is really rewarding when everyone goes home safe at the end of the night,” Price says.

One call she remembers vividly involved a veteran officer being shot. The officer was on the air screaming. “I prayed a lot. My faith got me through everything,” she says.

Price is of the opinion that a dispatcher has to have a “caring heart” and genuinely care about the officers on the street.

When Price decided to work the civilian side, she became a telecommunications specialist and she worked in that capacity from 2004–2011. “I got to help people,” she says. Ms. Price programmed the 9-1-1 system and all phones, faxes and telecommunications-rated equipment. She went to Chicago for two weeks to learn about programming, followed by local training in her jurisdiction. “It was very technical; it was very challenging,” she says. When the 9-1-1 system would have problems, Price would get the call. “I’d get a call in the middle of the night. It’s stressful when you have to fix it right then and there,” she says.

Her work was rewarded with a promotion to telecommunications supervisor in May 2011. As a supervisor, Price had 15 calltakers and 15 dispatchers under her wing. “I knew where they came from. I liked encouraging them. I did everything I could to make it a better environment,” she says.

Price was proactive and, in her role, she had influence on policy and observed outdated policies that needed to be changed. With the assistance and approval of her captain, policies that had been in place for 20–30 years were revised.

An important goal for Price has always been to focus on the need to care about the officers. “I am a lifeline for officers on the street,” she says. Her constant motivation was officer safety and knowing that her actions significantly affected officers on the street.

Throughout her career, Price has excelled in all areas she has worked. She twice received the Dispatcher of the Year Award from the Milwaukee Police Department.

After having a tenured career with the Milwaukee Police Department and having worked in different capacities, she made a decision in May 2012 to leave the department and accept an offer to work as the communications facility coordinator for the Department of Public Works in Milwaukee. In the position, Price is responsible for programming the entire phone system for the city. When she left the Milwaukee Police Department, she was presented with a photo book of memories that her peers had put together, enabling her to savor the fond memories and significant impact she made throughout her tenure in the department.

Price, 41, has been married for 17 years, and her husband is employed by the fire department. She has two daughters, ages 15 and 16. One daughter is considering a career in law enforcement. When she isn’t working, Price enjoys visiting with family, taking walks and watching movies—chick flicks, in particular. She also enjoys doing “girl stuff” and shopping with her daughter.

Reflecting on her career, Price realizes she has had the best of a several worlds. “I wouldn’t change a thing. It all fell into place perfectly,” she says. And, in her new role, she continues to add to her notable legacy.

About the Author
Karen L. Bune serves as an adjunct professor at George Mason University and Marymount University in Virginia, and is a consultant for the Training and Technical Assistance Center for the Office for Victims of Crime and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice. She is a nationally recognized speaker and trainer on public safety issues. Bune is Board Certified in Traumatic Stress and Domestic Violence, and she is a Fellow of The Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and the National Center for Crisis Management.