When Should I Call 911?

We belong to a neighborhood group in South Durham (They have them all over, and this is from a new one on Nextdoor)

This message is a fun take on a very weighty topic written by a Durham PD Sergeant.

Sgt. D. Gunter
Durham Police Department
District 2 HEAT
(919) 560-4582 ext. 29252
d.gunter@durhamnc.gov

We love our Durham PD… we did a photo project recently for the Chamber of Commerce with them and other first responders… so I’ve dropped in a few of those photos break things up a bit.

When Should I Call 911?

There seems to be some confusion and hesitation about when to call 911…lots of people have emailed me recently to ask when or what constitutes a 911 call versus a non-emergency call…so in order to clear it all up and because I know you’re all wondering, I’m gonna give you the skinny on the whole deal. This is exciting stuff folks, so put a pillow on the floor just in case you fall off the edge of your seat.

Here we go…if you see something HAPPENING that you think needs Police attention NOW (or for that matter, anything that falls under “Emergency Services” such as Police, Fire or EMS) then 911 is appropriate. The basic idea is to ask yourself if what you’re seeing is “In-Progress.” If it is in progress…call 911.
Now…if the situation is clearly NOT an emergency or the incident is not currently in progress, then dialing the Non-Emergency line is appropriate (560-4600). That’s why it’s called the Non-Emergency line…nifty huh?
Examples of 911 calls can include:
Car wrecks
Any medical emergency
A break-in to your home (and you don’t know if anyone is inside)
A break-in to your home while YOU’RE inside!
Seeing someone stealing, about to steal, or break-in to something
Fights (doesn’t apply to animals, does apply to Kung-Fu)
Anybody with a gun (cept us of course!)
Any sighting of Chuck Norris (cause someone is about to get hurt)
Gunshots
Suspicious activity (make sure to tell 911 exactly what’s suspicious about what you see)
Your house is on fire
My house is on fire
Anybodys house is on fire
Fire in general
If you’ve fallen and can’t get up
If I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!
On second thought; A Chuck Norris sighting… nothing we can do. Best not to intervene. It is after all…Chuck Norris.
Now…this is not even a drop in the bucket so don’t limit yourself to any list out there, because there are here are so many situations that can and would apply. Use good judgment and if you still have doubt, call 911. You can’t go wrong….we’ll figure it out when we get there.
Now…for the non-emergency stuff…
The Non-Emergency number for the Durham Police is 560-4600.
Basically… anything that you might need the police for….but it’s not a “ShaZaaam!” moment, it’s NOT in progress and it doesn’t endanger life or property. It’s more of a “Well, the police should probably know whats going on here, but there’s no rush.”
Some examples are:
A dent to your car in the parking lot.
A stolen mower, weed wacker, whack-a-mole game, wilted wieeping willow, or other property (something that might have gotten stolen out of your shed for example) and the bad guy is long gone
A minor crime that occurred days ago or even hours ago
A car break-in (not in progress)
Identity fraud (not in progress)
Police advice

When not to call us at all…..

When your order at Mickey-D’s is not really “Your way.”
When you forget your anniversary. ..again…and you were married Christmas day, her birthday or Halloween… (you’re on your own fellas).
Cat in a tree (it will come down eventually.. .after all, who’s ever seen a cat skeleton in a tree?)
Dog in a tree…call me directly. Gotta see that.
Clowns… your discretion….they creep me out too.
Aliens…when aliens from Mars, in possession of an Illudium PU 36 Explosive Space Modulator, lands in the city park and start vaporizing people into cosmic dust…it may be an emergency, but trust me…I ain’t coming.
Just to say “Hi Police!”
When Victor finds out Adam is secretly conspiring against Ashley to make her think she’s losing her mind and to make her think she’s pregnant, but we all know she’s really not, except for Victor…who can’t see the truth because he hates Jack, and Jack is worrying about Gloria scheming as usual and Jack and Victor are worrying about that crazy Mary Jane and kitty cat….Mary Jane wants kill Jack and Victor and stuff the new cat…or marry Jack…depends on the moment. Now, Mary Jane might ought to think about calling 911 for that spider bite…that might be appropriate. ….and she could if she hadn’t have stomped on the cell phone Not that I watch Y&R…it’s just what I hear…honest. .. you know, word on the street and all.
To find out the weather or road conditions…instead, just watch Don “Big Weather” Schwenneker on WTVD….if Big Weather says “TarNader is a comin”…grab Dorothy and the dog and get in the cellar…cause a TarNader is a comin!
You want directions…
Lost cell phones (No need to report it to anyone but your insurance company. Also, how did you call?)
Lost wallet
Lost dogs
Lost cats
Lost love
Lost keys
Lost re-runs
Los Alamos
Las Vegas…what happens in Vegas…stays in Vegas…unless you put it on Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat.

Now…if you have something that comes up and are confused or that you wonder about or have ANY DOUBT at all…repeat after me…. Call 911….you cant go wrong.

Sgt. D. Gunter
Durham Police Department
District 2 HEAT
(919) 560-4582 ext. 29252
d.gunter@durhamnc.gov

“Be Alert…The World Needs More Lerts!