Sheriff's Dispatcher - and Limited Term

About The Position

Do you have excellent communication skills and work well with a diverse group of people? The Sheriff's Office is seeking self‑motivated professionals to be dispatchers. As a Dispatcher, you are responsible for monitoring, receiving, and dispatching routine and emergency radio communications to and from Sheriff's patrol units and other law enforcement or public safety agencies. To effectively accomplish these tasks, you will be involved in securing and recording information as to the nature of a reported problem and identifying the exact location.

You will be operating a CLETS (California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System) computer terminal to obtain or verify information and maintaining required logs of calls and incidents. Additionally, you will prepare reports, provide information and assistance to the public, and determine availability and location of patrol units to dispatch. The County of San Luis Obispo's Sheriff's Dispatch Center provides coverage to San Luis Obispo, as well as the surrounding areas including Morro Bay and Arroyo Grande.

The written examination component of this recruitment will be held on Monday, March 30, 2026.  , to learn more about the Sheriff's Dispatch Center.  , To View Detailed Job Description. This recruitment may be used to fill future permanent, substitute, limited term, and temporary positions, both full‑time and part‑time. This recruitment may be used to fill available limited term positions. Employees hired into limited term positions receive benefits equivalent to permanent, full‑time employees, therefore will be eligible to earn vacation, sick leave, health, and pension benefits.

The sunset date for available limited term positions is currently June 30, 2026.

The ideal candidate will have an interest in corrections or law enforcement, possess excellent communication and multi‑tasking skills, as well as be able to exercise good judgment in emergency situations. Strong powers of observation, memory, logical reasoning, and judgment are desired. As a Dispatcher, being able to understand and carry out oral and written instructions; speak clearly; listen attentively; remember names, locations and numbers;

read maps quickly and accurately; establish effective working relationships; and tactfully handle irate or upset individuals is key. Telephone operation and etiquette and the ability to learn geography of the County is a must. Excellent computer software skills with the ability to quickly and accurately type data is required.

Education and Experience:

• Ability to type at a speed of 45 net wpm.
• Graduation from high school or possession of a General Education Development (GED) Certificate and any combination of education, training, and experience which would provide the required knowledge and abilities.
• Work experience receiving information and simultaneously performing data entry is desirable.

Must obtain Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Public Safety Dispatcher certification within one year from date of appointment.

Applications, including answers to supplemental questions, must be submitted online by the final filing date. To apply for this position, click "apply" at the top of this page. Most County recruitments require you to respond to supplemental questions as part of the application process. We recommend that you review these questions prior to beginning your application. An initial application review will be conducted.

Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and are best qualified will be invited to participate in selection activities which may include online assessments, performance exams, written exams, and interviews. Final candidates will be required to have an in‑depth background review performed before proceeding in the process. Please note that references will not be contacted until the end of the process.

If you have questions or would like to discuss the opportunity further, please contact Human Resources at  Confidential inquiries are welcomed. For further information regarding the County of San Luis Obispo, visit our website…