Communications Supervisor:
Karen L. Whaley
Email: whaleykl@flcjn.net

The DeSoto County Sheriff's Office Communications Division is the lifeline between a distraught caller and the help they need.  Whether it is a medical or law enforcement emergency, our communications officers are the first link in the vital chain of emergency response. 

The Communications Division is responsible for receiving and processing all calls for public safety assistance for the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office, the Arcadia Police Department, DeSoto County's Public Safety Department and the City of Arcadia Fire Department.  Last year approximately 26,000 calls for service were answered and dispatched in the central dispatch center. This is in addition to countless daily administration and information calls to the Sheriff's Office that are not assigned a case number.

We are very fortunate to have highly qualified and caring individuals who staff the 9-1-1 call center.  Currently there are thirteen dispatchers and one supervisor.  Being a 9-1-1 dispatcher requires a level of dedication that most other occupations don't.  They are here twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to help ensure the safety of our citizens as well as our emergency workers in the field.

Chances are, if you have never had to call 9-1-1 during an emergency, you will at some point in the future.  The citizens of DeSoto County can feel confident knowing that your call will be handled in a prompt, professional manner and the help you need will be on the way.