What can you use the non emergency police number for?

[The motor guy]

Every holiday weekend they have a cop sit at the signal light DOT control box and they back the northbound traffic up for like 4 miles. It takes me 20 minutes to make it through two blocks. Would it be appropriate to call the that cities police department and ask why they keep holding traffic back from getting on the bridge? My guess is they're trying to keep weight off of it since they added two rows of concrete freeway dividers to a bridge that never had them, but that's just a guess on my part. Anyways what phone number would you call to ask about that?

 

[14Accent]

Calling the non-emergency line to complain about traffic? Seems a bit far fetched.

I used the non-emergency line when my house got broken in to. I wasn't in danger, I didn't feel threatened, so I felt no need to call 911. But you bet your behind the cops got there quick when I reported a break-in.

To clarify, I came home to my house broken in to, it wasn't robbed while I was inside. THAT would have been a 911 call.

 

[SZR48207]

You won't be the only one calling, and calling won't change anything.

 

[Imp4]

Called the non-emergency number to ask where the local unused prescription pill drop off location is.
Gave me the exact info I was looking for.

NON-EMERGENCY EDUCATION AND EXAMPLES
9-1-1 is for police, fire, or medical emergencies when immediate action is required: someone's health, safety or property is in jeopardy or a crime is in progress.

If you need police assistance for a non-emergency situation (for example, more than 15 minutes have passed since the incident occurred, there are no injuries, the suspects are nowhere to be seen and their location is unknown), please use your local ten-digit non-emergency numbers.

Examples of when to call 9-1-1
Events that involve an immediate threat to a person or property: screams, attacks, gunshots, fires, car accidents with injuries or other medical emergencies
A substantive, in-progress crime such as a fight, break and enter (if there is a suspect on scene) or a report of an impaired driver
A serious crime that has just occurred (examples: sexual assault or robbery)
A suspicious circumstance that may indicate an imminent criminal act (examples: prowler, vandal)

Examples of when to call non-emergency number:
Reporting a crime with no suspect (example: theft of a licence plate)
Reporting a crime with suspect, but suspect is not on the scene (example: fraud)
Reporting a serious crime with suspect, but with a lengthy delay (example: assault that occurred last night at a bar)
Non-emergency in progress (example: noisy party)
On-going crime issues or crimes that are not in-progress (examples: graffiti or ongoing drug dealing with no suspect on scene)
A suspicious circumstance that may indicate an ongoing criminal activity (example: suspected drug lab)

 

[eljefino]

I called for a permit to drive my uninspected car to a state inspection station. Under 2 minute response time, too.

 

[The motor guy]

Originally Posted by Reddy45
You won't be the only one calling, and calling won't change anything.


I guess I can call city hall, but what department would that be?

 

[The motor guy]

Originally Posted by eljefino
I called for a permit to drive my uninspected car to a state inspection station. Under 2 minute response time, too.


What did they do escort you to the station?

 

[John_K]

Around here the mayor has a hotline for government issues, might try that.

 

[The motor guy]

What if I just ask the cop? He's right next to a gas station. I can easily park and walk over.

 

[Willclark]

Here in Chicago, you call the non-emergency line, 311, but sometimes it will just ring and ring. No one will even answer it.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Originally Posted by motor_oil_madman
Every holiday weekend they have a cop sit at the signal light DOT control box and they back the northbound traffic up for like 4 miles. It takes me 20 minutes to make it through two blocks. Would it be appropriate to call the that cities police department and ask why they keep holding traffic back from getting on the bridge? My guess is they're trying to keep weight off of it since they added two rows of concrete freeway dividers to a bridge that never had them, but that's just a guess on my part. Anyways what phone number would you call to ask about that?

DOT.

 

[PimTac]

Take a different route. There has been construction ongoing in my area for twenty years now. I don't sit in traffic.

 

[MRtv]

Reporting the barking dog along the street comes to mind. Have not done it but sure considering it. Look, not everyone loves your dog like you do and when you are gone and it is barking all day long it makes being in the yard pretty annoying.

 

[ctechbob]

In our area it just goes to the 911 center same as a regular 911 call. Granted, we're a smaller county.

 

[DoubleWasp]

Originally Posted by MRtv
Reporting the barking dog along the street comes to mind. Have not done it but sure considering it. Look, not everyone loves your dog like you do and when you are gone and it is barking all day long it makes being in the yard pretty annoying.


People who own dogs that incessantly bark are people I don't understand. I'd like to believe they got a puppy that turned into a barkaholic dog, but it seems way too common to be an occasional accident. Some people seem to collect more than one.

The really insane ones to me are the ones who have multiple dogs that always interminably bark and endlessly yell at their dogs to stop barking. Its like watching a person use mud to wash their car.

The dog being too stupid to stop shouting is confusing. The human being too stupid to break the cycle is ridiculous.

 

[PandaBear]

Usually:

1) neighbor being too loud / party too hard
2) someone broke into my car and took something
3) vandalism / graffiti
4) anything else that i think the police should know, but no one was hurt.

 

[mk378]

That's a really bizarre idea that the bridge must be defective so the police are out there 24/7 only letting a few cars go over at a time so it doesn't collapse. No bridge engineer would ever sign off on that.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted by PandaBear
Usually:

1) neighbor being too loud / party too hard
2) someone broke into my car and took something
3) vandalism / graffiti
4) anything else that i think the police should know, but no one was hurt.



If someone's breaking the law and I wish police response, 911 is a legitimate number to call. They'll use internal methods to triage what's important and what's not.

I called 911 in the past to report a noise violation. Fireworks has just been made legal in my state but my town ordinance says you can't have noise louder than 55dB (not much) escaping your property.

The responding deputy called me back and told me that I was wrong (I was not). But they handled the call.

Yes, it is a courtesy to use the non-emergency number if it's not a crime in progress or someone bleeding out. They could do a better job of advertising this number, though.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

One early evening After a winter storm two year ago, I called the dispatcher but they connected me to the sherriffs office. I wanted to report that my next door Neighbor left his generator running for a half a day after a power outage was was restored, and could you CALL THEM to let them know as they had an unlisted number. Well they sent a car out to my house. A Deputy with his apparently drunk girlfriend riding shotgun. He gave me all kinds of grief over why I would I would call to have a large gasoline generator with it exhaust pointing to my bed room shut off? I told him I just wanted the station to call the neighbor and alert him to the fact that the power was restored - and I didnt request a car - the sherriffs office just sent a car and hung up. Of cousre the neighbor shut off the generator aboiut 2 mins before the deputy arrived. So that didnt work well for me but at least I didnt call 911.

I think I called once before about 10 years earlier to report a loud explosion with the lights inmy house shaking and swaying and a window cracked. Car came by. That officer gave me grief too. And again I didn't request a car. I just ask the station if they were aware if there was any construction dynamiting going on near by. Cop informed me that my neighbor across the way has a cannon and he fires it once and a while. I know that boom and this was not THAT boom. Other neighbors came out of their house into the street - like in a Zombie or Speilberg movie.

Again, over response to simple questions.

 

[DoubleWasp]

Actually, last time I called non-emergency was because I had a passing encounter with a very unusual unmarked police car.

This was just after the Parkland shooting. I was stopped about a mile away from a school, and I saw a weird Charger investigating any parked car. When the woman at the wheel saw me, she started hitting her thing (the one that goes MEERP MEERP) and directing me to leave my legal parking space. She looked to be about 17 years old, presented no badge, and had no uniform. I ignored her and she left. I immediately called police non-emergency and they had a Lieutenant or someone call me back.

It was like the hotel scene from Scarface. He was very dodgy about confirming whether or not the car was one of theirs or not. Finally we got to the point where he admitted the only female unmarked agent he had was an older woman. Turned out the driver of the Charger was a post-disaster vigilante trying to "do her part" and had been seen before.