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When to call 911 versus the Durham District II Police Station

A citizen's guide

Reasons to call 911...

Anytime you wish to:

1) make or file a police report,

2) report any type of crime or possible criminal activity or

3) ask that an officer check on someone who might be hurt or is possibly needing assistance.

Durham does not have a non-emergency 3-digit phone number. So both emergency calls and non-emergency calls are, out of necessity, routed through the "911" Dispatcher.

Some varied examples of reasons to call 911 are...

"Someone suspicious is walking on my street"
"A car is broken down on the side of the road"
"An unleashed dog is wandering in my neighborhood"
"An abandoned car has been left on the street"
"Something was stolen from my yard overnight"
"A robbery just occurred"
"I hear the sound of gun shots"
"I think a group is selling drugs on the street
corner"
"Kids under 16 yrs old are skipping school"
"I know the location of a suspect wanted by police"

Reasons to call our District II Police Substation at 560-4582 (list is not all-inclusive)...

* You wish to speak with the District Captain or his Lieutenant.

* You want to speak to a Property Crimes Investigator about certain property crimes that you were a victim of after you have reported the crime by calling 911 (home or business burglary/break-ins; car thefts or break-ins; theft of property valued over $1000).

* You want to ask advice/questions on various topics ("do I need to register my handgun?"; "between what hours is it legal to park my tractor trailer on a city street"; "how is the best way to deal with door-to-door solicitors"; "how do I swear out an arrest warrant"; etc).

* You have knowledge of an on-going criminal problem and want to discuss it ("drug sales"; "speeding"; "illegal alcohol sales"; etc).

* You want to find out about programs and services offered by your local substation.

* You want to schedule a Police Program for your community or organization ("Watch Your Car" auto theft prevention program, "Neighborhood Watch"; "Child fingerprinting", etc).

* You want to schedule a crime prevention or community service for yourself ("Home Security Survey" to provide you with crime prevention tips, "emergency beacon light" needed for an elderly or handicapped person, "Business Call Back Sticker" needs updating, my street needs additional Street Lights installed, etc).

* You want to commend the actions of a particular Officer.

* You have a question, concern, or complaint regarding Police service.

Please remember that the Substations are not always manned, so if you leave a voicemail message it may be a day or longer before it is retrieved.

The Durham Police website at http://www.durhampolice.com has additional info on programs, service, departmental structure, etc.

Courtesy of Officer Mark Sherman, Durham Police Department (District II).