Kristy Dorton

Kristy Dorton is a Public Safety Dispatcher II and Communications Training Officer (CTO) for the Sacramento Police Department. Kristy began her career in 2005, was awarded Communications Training Officer of the Year in 2014, Dispatcher of the Year in 2015, and again in 2024. She also was one of the department’s Distinguished Service Award recipients in 2023, for her involvement as the primary dispatcher on a church shooting in 2022.

As a CTO since 2007 and a senior member of the training team, she has had the opportunity to develop and guide numerous trainees in a one-on-one setting. She is currently assigned to the Communications Academy as the Training Facilitator, facilitating training in the basic academy, where she teaches recruits all aspects of call-taking to prepare them for one-on-one training, the radio academy, preparing trainees for handling all radio traffic and dispatching calls for service, along with various other in-service training courses for her division. Training is and has always been her passion.

After graduating from Sacramento Police Department’s Frontline Leadership course in 2011, Kristy began her journey of classroom instruction through California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Instructor Development Institute (IDI) courses. This has taken her passion for training to an even greater level. Facilitating learning for a classroom of students is very exciting and rewarding for her, she utilizes adult learning concepts to deliver content to students in a meaningful way.

Kristy continues to teach Interpersonal Communication and Dispatcher Wellness in POST’s Basic Dispatch Academy Course, CTO School, and Dispatch Priming. Kristy’s students are brought to higher levels of understanding with her expertise and engaging nature, she helps students build a strong foundation of call-taking and dispatching skills that last an entire career.

Kristy is also a long-time member of the department’s Peer Support team, has aided with CAD development, assisted with the development of the department’s Mentor Program, and is a Mentor to other CTO’s. She is very active within the department and when teaching, it is evident how she cares deeply about the 911 profession.

Kristy earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Studies, and minor in Recreation and Leisure Studies from CSU, Sacramento. In 2021, she graduated POST’s Master Instructor Certificate Course.

She is the instructor for our Dispatch Priming course and also consults with communications centers on training matters. To learn more about our consulting services, please contact us here and let us know how we can help.

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