| WHEN TO CALL THE POLICE DEPARTMENT |
| Many people hesitate to call the Police Department when they observe something that could possibly be a crime or a suspicious incident. You should call the Police Department anytime and every time you suspect that something is wrong, suspicious, dangerous, criminal or possible trouble, of any nature, has occurred, or is about to occur. A simple rule to follow is that anytime you think something is wrong, dangerous or suspicious, immediately call the Police Department, no exceptions. It's OK to be wrong. The Police Department understands that citizen's can't always be right about what they think is suspicious or wrongful activity. All the Police Department asks is that you call whenever you think something wrong is happening. If you call the Police Department and you were wrong about your suspicion or what you thought was wrong, it's OK, you won't be in any trouble. Remember, it's the Police Department's job to investigate what citizen's believe to be wrong. Your job, as a member of Crime Watch, or just as a concerned citizen, is to let the Police Department know when you think something is wrong or suspicious. |
| IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO CALL 911 PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT |
| 1. Identify Yourself : (Name, address, phone number) 2. Type of Crime : (burglary, assault, robbery, suspicious person or vehicle) 3. Crime In Progress : (or when it happened) 4. Where : (color of building, address, location or name of building, or landmark if no specific address can be given. 5. Suspect Armed : (gun, knife, club, etc.) 6. Description of Suspect : (height, weight, age, race, sex, clothing, etc.) 7. Description of Vehicle : (color, make, model, year, body style, license place number, unique features 8. Direction in Which Suspect Is Traveling : (or last seen traveling) 9. Stay : (on the line until told to hang up) 10. Do Not : (go outside of your home), to observe the suspect or to confront them. The suspect could be armed with a weapon and the Police are trained and better equipped to handle the situation. IF YOU ARE PART OF THE CRIME WATCH ASSOCIATION: 11. After Calling The Police, Activate : (your telephone chain so that neighbors can help watch the suspect and give the Police Department more detailed description/information |
| EMERGENCY OR NOT |
| Anytime you need to call the Police Department, you must first make a determination if it is an emergency. An emergency is when immediate Police, Fire or Paramedic assistance is necessary to stop a crime in progress or to save and protect life or property. Time is very important under such emergency conditions and can make the difference between life and death. |
| 911 Emergency |
| In Pinellas County, the 911 emergency system is an enhanced system. What this means is that anytime you call 911, the caller's address and telephone number is automatically displayed on a screen in the center. The 911 emergency number can also be called from any public pay telephone, without the need for change and the location and phone umber are also displayed. Any cellular telephone may call 911 without any air time charges being charged. |
| What To Expect When Calling 911 |
| Your information to the 911 operator should be as accurate and concise as possible. Follow these guidelines to expedite the handling of your call. 1. Answer all questions as they are asked. 2. If you are reporting a person, be prepared to provide facts about race, sex, height, weight and clothing. 3. If you are reporting a vehicle, attempt to provide a color, make, style, tag number and direction of travel. 4. Be prepared to explain why the person or vehicle appeared suspicious and what was happening. 5. Be patient. The communications clerk is in contact with the responding officers and needs as many details as possible to assist the officers in planning their approach. FOR MEMBERS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME WATCH 6. When calling 911, regardless of where you call from, tell the dispatcher that you are a member of the neighborhood Crime Watch, as this will add credibility to your call. |