LIHU‘E — When Kaua‘i Police Dispatcher Joni Craig fielded a 911 call in mid-March, no one was there. After several attempts to get a response, Craig finally got the voice of a male caller who sounded depressed and was contemplating
LIHU‘E — When Kaua‘i Police Dispatcher Joni Craig fielded a 911 call in mid-March, no one was there.
After several attempts to get a response, Craig finally got the voice of a male caller who sounded depressed and was contemplating suicide. Despite her urging, he refused to provide an address, said Kathleen Langtad, Craig’s supervisor.
Using her training in Power Mapping, Craig was able to dispatch an officer to the caller for a successful resolution to the incident. Langtad said Power Mapping is a program used by police dispatchers to provide Global Positioning System locations when callers use the Enhanced 911 system.
Two days after the suicide call, Craig received a call regarding an overturned boat. Unable to get directions, Craig again used Power Mapping to ascertain the latitude and longitude coordinates of the disabled vessel, leading to another favorable conclusion.
Craig’s knowledge on the use of Power Mapping combined with her excellent work ethic earned her the Kaua‘i Police Department Employee of the Month award for March.
The award was presented by Deputy Kaua‘i Police Chief Mark Begley during Friday’s Kaua‘i Police Commission meeting.
