Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

WATERVILLE

Dispatcher commended

By Amy Calder acalder@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

WATERVILLE -- Police dispatcher Lynna Higgins is being commended for her quick work that helped police find a woman allegedly being raped in Fairfield.

It was the morning of Feb. 6, and the woman called 911 from a cell phone in Fairfield, saying she was being sexually assaulted, according to Waterville police Chief Joseph Massey and Fairfield Chief John Emery.

The 2:32 a.m. call went to the Central Maine Regional Communications Center in Augusta and was transferred to Somerset Communications Center in Skowhegan, which dispatches for Fairfield police.

During the brief 911 call, the woman said she was being raped and gave her cell phone number to police but the address she gave was unclear. Police initially believed it to be on Summer Street in Fairfield.

The problem is, there is no Summer Street there. Police immediately checked Summit Street because the names sound similar, but did not find anything.

When Higgins, in the Waterville Communications Center, heard a radio call for all departments to check streets that sounded like Summer, she immediately checked the woman's cell phone number with Waterville records.

She discovered police had responded previously to a couple of incidents called in from that phone number, and the caller's location was on Silver Street in Fairfield.

Monitoring Higgins' radio traffic, Fairfield officers rushed to that address, interrupted an alleged rape in progress and arrested the suspect, Brock Dunton Jr., 21, of Clinton, who knew the woman, according to police records.

The woman was taken to the hospital; Dunton was charged with domestic violence assault and gross sexual assault, and taken to jail.

"Because of dispatcher Lynna Higgins' actions and initiative, the officers were able to provide aid to the victim, make a quick arrest and prevented a bad situation from being much worse," Emery wrote in a certificate of appreciation to Higgins.

Emery also wrote a letter to Massey, praising the Waterville employee:

"Lynna Higgins' actions exemplify the best in a dispatcher, and the city of Waterville as well as the law enforcement community are fortunate to have a dispatcher of her caliber. We would like to thank you, the communication center and Lynna for a job well done."

Massey also praised Higgins' professionalism, quick thinking and dogged pursuit to find the caller's location.

Higgins, 29, said that dispatching often requires some detective work.

"It's kind of putting the last puzzle piece in," she said. "It's really knowing that the person is getting the help that they need."

Augusta received the 911 call at 2:32 a.m.; officers arrived at the scene between 2:50 a.m. and 3 a.m., according to Fairfield police records.

Higgins said the incident shows why it is important to have local dispatchers who are familiar with the area and its people.

"I really think that the consolidation of the PSAP (Public Service Answering Point) is a disservice to the citizens," Higgins said. "Just those few extra seconds make a big difference."

Massey, the Waterville chief, is a vocal opponent of the state's removal of Waterville's ability to receive 911 calls and the decrease in the number of 911 dispatching centers around the state. When someone in Waterville calls 911, the call goes to Somerset Communications and then is transferred to Waterville.

The caller in this case used a cell phone, so the call became more complicated. It went to Augusta, then to Skowhegan, and then Fairfield. Neither Waterville nor Somerset has the technology to take 911 calls that originate from cell phones.

Not being able to take 911 calls locally causes delays and poses safety issues, Massey said. Plus, a local dispatcher has institutional memory, which is invaluable is such situations, he said.

The Feb. 6 call illustrates this very well, he said.

"Several minutes could mean the difference between life and death," he said.

Higgins concurs.

"I agree 100 percent. I think the local dispatchers have a better knowledge of the community. You could throw out a name or address or phone number and we could tell you who it was, the person's calling history, where it is and probably what officer has a better understanding of that person and situation."

Higgins leaves her Waterville position Thursday for a dispatching job at Bangor Police Department.

She got her first dispatching job in Waterville 3 1/2 years ago when she moved here from Bangor.

"From day one at Waterville, they taught me that seconds count," she said.

She had worked in the restaurant business before that, after graduating from Bangor High School and earning two associates' degrees from Eastern Maine Community College, in culinary arts and food and restaurant service management.

Looking for a change, she applied to Waterville and got the job. It was a decision that would change her career. She said she loves her work, and finds satisfaction in being able to help people.

"I guess I found out what my calling is," she said.

Amy Calder -- 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com