Beginning October 16, the City of Platteville will transition portions of its emergency dispatch operations to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office as the City continues planning for the future of emergency communications services. Residents should continue to call 911 for emergencies. There is no change to how the public accesses emergency assistance, and there will be no change to the level of emergency service provided to the community.

Under the transition, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office will receive all 911 calls and handle emergency services paging for Platteville 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Platteville Police Department dispatch staff will continue operating the City’s dispatch center during weekday coverage periods.

Beginning October 16, Grant County will also provide Platteville’s dispatch services from 11:00 p.m. Friday through 7:00 p.m. Sunday. During those hours, calls requiring a dispatcher will be handled by Grant County.

The Platteville Police Department’s non-emergency business line, 608-348-2313, will remain operational at all times. Callers will hear a phone menu that will route them to the appropriate service. When Grant County is providing dispatch coverage, calls requiring a dispatcher will be routed to Grant County. For residents, the most important message is simple: if you have an emergency, continue to call 911.

Why is this change being made?
The change provides a sustainable way to maintain reliable emergency communications as the Platteville Police Department experiences an upcoming staffing change. It also allows Platteville and Grant County to continue discussions about the future of emergency dispatch services. The operational transition follows an upcoming staffing change within the Platteville Police
Department and provides a sustainable way to maintain uninterrupted emergency communications while the City and Grant County continue discussions regarding potential future consolidation of dispatch services.

The transition has been coordinated with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and Platteville’s public safety partners, including the Platteville Fire Department, Southwest Health EMS, and UW-Platteville.

This change is an operational step and does not represent full consolidation of the City’s dispatch operations with Grant County. The City and County continue to work through the longer-term framework for potential consolidation, which would be considered separately.

What residents need to know

• For an emergency: Call 911.
• 911 service remains available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• The Platteville Police Department non-emergency number remains 608-348-2313.
• Emergency calls will continue to be received, processed, and dispatched to the appropriate public safety responders.
• The primary operational change is where calls are received and dispatched, not how residents request emergency assistance.