Miami Twp. studying possible joint dispatch center with southern suburb cities

MIAMI TWP., Montgomery County — Miami Twp. agreed to enter into a feasibility study to see if it would make sense to leave the Montgomery County Regional Dispatch Center in favor of creating a joint dispatch center with several southern Montgomery County suburbs.

A resolution passed by trustees Tuesday night allows for the township to spend up to $8,000 on the study, which Miami Twp. Police Chief Charlie Stiegelmeyer said would allow the department to look into possible costs savings for dispatching services by joining with several other departments.

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The study will include police departments from Kettering, Centerville, Moraine, West Carrollton and Miami Twp., according to the resolution

Miami Twp. is the only police agency in the group currently serviced by the Montgomery County Regional Dispatch Center. Kettering and Moraine each have its own dispatch centers. Centerville and West Carrollton currently operate a joint dispatch center.

Trustee President John Morris said he’s been frustrated with the Emergency Communications Preparedness Center, which he says oversees the regional dispatch center.

“I’ve been thoroughly disappointed with the frequency of the meetings and the overall effort that has been put forward by the county to coordinate information to the members of the regional dispatch center," said John Morris, Miami Twp. Board of Trustees President. “Clearly we have a record of poor service. We have a record of increased costs. The communication has been poor.”

News Center 7 has contacted the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the Montgomery County Regional Dispatch Center, and the agency declined to comment.

Morris also brought up concerns with the upcoming transition to 5G signals for cell phones and the county’s planning for the impacts that change may bring to the regional dispatch center’s operation.

“There’s been a fundamental lack of planning," the board of trustees president said.

Matrix Consulting Group, which specialized in providing high quality detailed analysis for local and state governments, will conduct the study. The group was selected after the township and other city police chiefs consulted with several Ohio police departments that used the company for a similar study, officials said.

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