I recall the old days before computers in the police cars. We got real time information as it was happening relayed by the dispatchers. These "tactical air traffic controllers" would have the witness of the crime in progress on telling them what was up in one ear and they would be relaying it to us, moving us to our targets as it was happening.
Eventually, things moved toward the Mobile Digital Terminals and Computer Aided Dispatch and all of that changed. During the time of live dispatching, I or my team and I were able to respond to robberies in progress as a matter of course. Once the MDT/CAD system came on line, that stopped happening as the system was organized to gather the information, input it to the system, and then, and only then, send it out to the field.
The order of the information changed as well. In the past, one would get the crime, the location, descriptions, and then who was assigned. So the type of crime alerted everyone. The location got all thinking about where this was happening, likely approach avenues as well as escapes...and also those not otherwise engaged would roll that way as well. Descritions were third in importance as they often had predictable similarities.
Finally...of least importance was the responsible unit who would handle the scene...either investigatory or tactical. With CAD it was all farckled up with Assigned unit, the crime, descriptions and finally the location. No...don't ask me why it was not changed as I would have to go into the nocturnal activities of the patrol commander and the dispatch department head which would be distasteful...but I digress.
Information is constantly flowing your way and it is the ability to discern the important bits of information from the irrelevant that makes for quick tactical thinking. This is the Orient in OODA, and if you can snipe at those vital bits of info while ignoring those with little or no value, you will be a tactical monster and be able to pick out what is happening and kill the bad guy before others even have an idea that you are no longer in discussion with them.
"See what others cannot see... ...move when others are still sleeping."
Gabe Suarez
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