Contact the Police (2024)

FAQs

What is the best number to call police? ›

Call or text 911 for emergency help.

An emergency is any situation that requires immediate assistance from the police, fire department or ambulance. When you call 911, be prepared to answer the call-taker's questions, which may include: The location of the emergency, including the street address.

Obviously if you've been physically harmed, or if someone threatens to harm you, you should call the police. Your health and personal safety come first, so if you legitimately do not feel safe, take action. That goes for your children as well.

Call your local precinct unless one of the following criteria apply (in which case you should call 911): The missing person is a child. The missing person has a mental or physical disability. The circ*mstances are suspicious and hint at a more serious crime.

Contact the police by calling 999 to report emergencies or by calling 101 for non-emergencies.

But by far, the most common and oldest nickname given to police officers is “cop.” “Cop” is a name used so frequently and widely in the US, that it has become synonymous with “police” in the dictionary and is even used by law enforcement officers themselves.

While most phones have GPS, voice calls often rely on location data being sent via the cellphone network and their towers. This can result in long delays in providing a 911 call center location data, or in many instances, no location data at all.

If you call the police, you should expect that someone will be arrested. Police officers are not social workers, counselors or cab drivers. An officer's primary job is to arrest suspects.

You can say, “I do not want to talk to you” and walk away calmly. Or, if you do not feel comfortable doing that, you can ask if you are free to go. If the answer is yes, you can consider just walking away.

Why do cops follow you but not pull? ›

Instead, the general rule is that police are allowed to follow you for a reasonable distance to observe your driving and determine if a traffic stop needs to be conducted. As you might imagine, a reasonable distance is interpretative and will vary based on the specifics of the situation.

Call your community

There are often situations where you may need someone's help but there's no reason why that needs to be the police when there are other options available. Setting up networks of friends who are able to arrive quickly and deescalate situations is a great place to start.

But when it comes to official advice, what should people do if they hear screaming and noise next door? According to the Government website, if you think you or someone else are in immediate danger, or a crime is in progress, you should dial 999. The same goes if you suspect domestic abuse or violence.

In a life crisis, reach out to counselors at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1(800) 273-8255. If you don't feel safe at home, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1(800) 799-7233, or text "LOVEIS" to 22522.

Call 111 if, you need medical help fast but it's not a 999 emergency.

Reserving 911 for serious threats to life and property is the right thing to do, and it's the law in many parts of the United States. Using 311 or other non-emergency numbers that are provided by your city or county frees up resources for real emergencies and may get you to the right department faster than calling 911.

The most common 911 calls include the following call types: Business Checks, Disturbances, Suspicious Persons, and Complaints.