Is it wrong for me to call the cops?

[.cheese.]

I have to admit, I call the cops a lot to report tips or other things I think they should be aware of.

For example the other night at 2AM I heard smashing coming from the apartment below me (sometimes I live in my apartment, other times my house depending upon where I have to be the next day). I was having a smoke on my balcony and looked down and noticed some women looking startled. I thought they had smashed beer bottles on the balcony or something.

I waited, noticed that they went downstairs to retrieve whatever it was (I even helped by shining a flashlight down there so they could see), but as soon as they went back into their apartment, the sounds of glass smashing started up again and I heard what sounded like little screams.

So I decided, I wonder *** is going on? Is it some kind of fight or whatnot? Are they drunk and throwing bottles at each other?

Well, I decided to play it safe and call the cops. I told them that I heard what sounded like glass being thrown or smashed against stuff and I wasn't sure what the heck was going on. I gave my name, but asked to remain anonymous if they came over there.

Well, they did - and turns out these women were installing large wind-chimes (at 2AM)..... a bunch of them.... and they kept dropping from the ceiling. (How they ended up getting flung out the window and over their balcony beats me).

The officers asked if I had heard any male voices and I said that everything I knew, I told dispatch.

Afterwards I was wondering if I overreacted?

-

Example #2

A guy shows up at my front gate (this is when I was at my house). He claims to be UPS. I have a 2-story place and I could clearly see from the 2nd story that there was no UPS truck, just an unmarked SUV. The guy wasn't even in UPS uniform. He said he has a package he needs me to sign for. I wasn't expecting a package.

I called the cops, told them some guy is claiming to be UPS, but there is no UPS truck, and he's not in uniform.

They send out 2 officers and turns out the guy was a UPS warehouse worker who was taking some of the overflow for the day.

The officers said that I did nothing wrong and even said that they were going to call UPS and tell them that sending people like this to deliver is unacceptable.

--

Example 3 (yesterday)

I'm driving home. Some guy comes up to me and swerves in front of me, looks me in the eye and screams what sounds like angry gibberish.

Then he floors the accelerator and swerves in front of some other lady, stops and yells some angry gibberish and gives her the finger.

Then he stops along some kids walking on the sidewalk and yells at them in the same angry nonsensical gibberish.

The whole time he's playing death-metal music ridiculously loud.

I figure.... Meth? So I called the cops, gave his license plate number and said, you might want to check this guy out if an officer happens to be around.

- again, did I overreact?

----

I always wonder if I'm doing a service by calling the police to inform them of stuff, or if I'm just bogging them down with stuff.

You guys tell me. Should I just ignore stuff in the future? Or am I doing the right thing?

These are just 3 recent examples. There are plenty of others.

 

[Christianninja]

The only one that seems to be borderline-overreaction to me is the first one, but I wasn't there and don't know exactly how it sounded. I think it's better to be the guy a little overly concerned than it is to be the guy watching and doing nothing as a woman's husband stabs her repeatedly and tries to set her on fire.

I was talking to an officer in my area a while ago and he was telling me about how they'd always get calls when peoples sattelite would go out, or if there were dogs going through their trash. THATS an overreaction.

 

[NYReload]

no.
libs want you to think you overreacted. afterall, why do you need a gun, right? cops will save you! what are you, paranoid or something? you carry a gun? you crazy!!! [/sarcasm and bunch of :banghead: ]

doesn't seam to me like you're paranoid. so don't feel bad. NOTHING wrong with a citizen informing police about suspicious behaviour. in fact, if more people did what you did, maybe, just maybe we would have less rapes/bulglaries/etc.

NYR

 

[mljdeckard]

Last night on one of the news shows, (I don't watch them often and wed is a slow TV night,) the NBC celebrity security consultant demonstrated how far he can get away with committing crimes in plain view and he can could on people not do do anything. They could watch witnesses and it's usually at least a dozen people who watch before anyone calls the police. (If at all.) Among the things he did in plain daylight were, smashing in car windows and driving them away, parking in front of homes with an unmarked van, crawling through windows, coming out the garage cleaning out items like golf clubs, using basic con techniques to con his way past hotel security and have them let him into rooms, and grabbing a screaming child off the street to see if anyone would do anything about it.

Very few people reacted at all. The ones watching him steal cars at the train station knew, if they called the police, they wouldn't be making their train that day. Most who were questioned said they just didn't believe a criminal would have the audacity to do it in front of witnesses in broad daylight. He told a woman on the street after a break-in; "I'm just committing burglary and stealing stuff." They laugh. A guy helps him smash a car window, gets him a hammer. One woman who called 911 turned out to be a parole officer.

Look at it this way. Police have virtually ZERO chance of ever catching a criminal in the act of anything. When they do it's pure luck. A criminal actually has to be very careful to make sure no one is watching, but even then, all he's doing is minimizing the odds, nothing is certain. The PRIMARY thing that lets police solve crimes, or better yet, catch them in progress, is people being paranoid and calling the police over every little thing. Even someone who cries wolf a hundred times is going to get lucky sooner or later.

 

[mbt2001]

Just remember the lessons of 9/11. Better to pass to much information than to little.

 

[.cheese.]

My other worry is, the more I call the police with various reports.... if a lot of them turn out to benign.... am I going to make my way on some kind of "frequent caller" list?

I worry that one day I'll have somebody trying to break into my place, or I'll be under attack (who knows what for)... I'll call 911 and they'll say, "Oh yeah, TheEconomist (not my real name), he's a frequent caller.... just ignore it."

That won't happen right?

 

[DontBurnMyFlag]

I would love to have people call me with that information.

Not only would it give me something to do, but it would let the community know that the cops actually care about them.

I received calls about a "suspcious kid or car" or loud music or barking dog, but they all end up to be dull calls that the emergency line shouldnt have been called for.

I dont think you are over-reacting.

There is a fine line however, and I suppose everyone has their idea about what over-reaction is.

At least someone is concerned about peoples lives and property out there.

+1 to you

 

[PaulBk]

IANAL nor a LEO, but...

I do think you are eventually going to make the 'crackpot' list. No agency will ever admit to having such a list for obvious legal reasons.

-Paul

 

[ZeSpectre]

Former LEO chiming in on this one and encouraging you to keep up the good work. Yes you have to use some common sense and it's always a good idea to wait a minute or two and gather information before you call but when I was in uniform my attitude was that I'd rather have 100 "turned out to be nothing" calls than actually have something happen because the person decide not to call. I used to reassure the RPs with this line all the time.

Yeah, I got to know some people and I'd roll my eyes and say "oh geez here we go again", but the truth is you never knew when crazy Mrs. Johnson might have ACTUALLY seen something. I also wonder how many times my "nothing" calls were only nothing calls because I arrived and suddenly the situation ended. I know it happened at least a few times where I'd find kids all hanging around looking guilty saying "nope officer, nuthin' happening here" and then they'd disperse.

I'm long out of the LEO game but I still keep a close watch on my neighborhood. There's an alley between two nearby buildings and every time I see someone starting to hang out in there it always, like clockwork, leads to trouble so everytime people start hanging out there...I call the cops.

There's a nice little park nearby with big "closed after dark" signs. Every time I see teens hanging out in there after dark (my evening walks take me by the area) I call the cops.

I'm sure that there's a folder on me by now, but I'll tell you this. In the recent crimewave that has splashed over my general area (5 months running now) my "patrol" area hasn't had a break-in, mugging, or assault and the couple of runs of graffitti we had were erased within 48 hours.

Now I can't take full credit for all of that, I'm sure other factors are involved as well, but I do know that the punks are aware that there's a "grouchy old man" who watches that neighborhood and they tend to stay away.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

EDIT: After reading cosmoline's post (#11) I thought I should point out that the vast majority of my calls are on the NON-emergency line and are of an "informational" nature

 

[Trip20]

My opinions because you asked for it.

Example #1: Hard to say. Your description is definitely tailored to lead me to believe the situation is easily interpreted as a possible interrupted burglary, or domestic violence dispute. On that note, if I suspect my neighbors place is being robbed, or that someone is being injured in a domestic... I'm callin' the police.

I'm unable to determine if I would have come to the same conclusions if I were to have actually witnessed the scenario.

Just make sure you stay on the appropriate side of the very thin line between helpful citizen and busy-body neighbor. Nothing worse than a neighbor that can't mind their own business.

Example #2: I personally wouldn't have involved law enforcement, so I see this as a slight overreaction. I would have told the guy to buzz off and have UPS deliver it via means that allow me to verify the legitimacy of the whole deal. Or I might have told the guy to tell me from which UPS location I can pick up the package.

Example #3: Safety issue due to driving behavior as described by you. This warranted a call to the police.

 

[Cosmoline]

1 & 2--I would say you overreacted. Never call the police unless you have an emergency to report and need their assistance. My rule is to not call unless I hear "help!" or "call the police!" or I need to yell those things myself. Certain women and girls make little screams all the time. But they're humans and can certainly form words if they need to. So unless they're screaming for help, don't call the cops. The UPS thing seems like real paranoia.

3--I doubt it has anything to do with Meth, but if the driver is endangering someone then yes it's time to call for help.

Constantly calling for "suspicious" behavior and the like is a huge waste of resources and helps create a police state.

Just remember the lessons of 9/11. Better to pass to much information than to little.

What does this have to do with 9/11? I'm sick of that being used as an excuse for imposing a police state on us and having everyone act like some commie informant in E. Germany.

How many times have *YOU* had police come pounding on your door to investigate your behavior? It's on par with getting mugged, and depending on the officer you could end up getting shot. The cops are a brutal, blunt instrument. They're not to be called in lightly.

 

[BigG]

I am only guessing but I would say borderline crackpot. It depends where you live. If you are in the middle of nowhere the police probably appreciate your help. If you are in a major city you are probably going to become a "known" quantity.

 

[Geno]

TheEconomist:

You can be my neighbor any day! Heck, I'll even welcome you in by signing the Mr. Rogers song:

Won't You Be My Neighbor,
by Fred M. Rogers

It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood,
A beautiful day for a neighbor.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?...

It's a neighborly day in this beauty wood,
A neighborly day for a beauty.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?...

I've always wanted to have a neighbor just like you.
I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.

So, let's make the most of this beautiful day.
Since we're together we might as well say:
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won't you be my neighbor?
Won't you please,
Won't you please?
Please won't you be my neighbor?​

Quote from the following website: http://pbskids.org/rogers/songlist/song1_ra.html

If we had more neighbors like you, we would have fewer crimes. :banghead: I see it this way: it's better to say I'm sorry for bothering when nothing serious was wrong, than to say I'm sorry for not calling after someone gets injured or murdered. You can be my neighbor any day!

Doc2005

 

[tn-dave]

911

It's funny I saw this thread today. I saw a trucker on the interstate driving real crazy yesterday. I really wanted to call and report him but I didn't think using 911 for something like that was a good idea.

I did a google search today and learned that in TN you can dial 847 (THP) from a cell phone and get a dispatcher. Look out reckless drivers.

I need to program my local sheriff dept and city police non-emergency numbers in my phone also.

 

[ms.k]

The way I see it 911 and cops are there for a reason. Even if it was just nothing, maybe there will come a time when you need assistance and someone will help YOU by the way of calling 911. Reverse good karma.

What if you hadn't called in on either of those instances, would your conscience get the better of you for NOT calling? I've been in positions where I didn't call and regreted it.

 

[ms.k]

"Certain women and girls make little screams all the time. But they're humans and can certainly form words if they need to. So unless they're screaming for help, don't call the cops. The UPS thing seems like real paranoia."



Not necessarily true. There was a story recently where a woman was moaning in an alley and it alerted some random guy and he came to her aid. She was being raped. Some women freeze, or are in too much shock to form 'words'!

 

[ozwyn]

I think you did fine. Consider it keeping situational awareness skills polished. You saw and heard things out of place, so you called the police.

That kind of habit could be the ounce of prevention that keeps you from having to use the pound of cure with all of the legal ramifications involved. (was tempted to say grains of cure, but resisted...)

 

[Jeff White]

You did good. If more people called us we could do our jobs so much better. You wouldn't believe how many times I've had someone tell me; "I thought something was wrong, but I didn't want to bother anyone with it."

Once I had a man tell me he had witnessed an attempted motor vehicle burglary, went into the church (the car was in it's parking lot) got the owner and since nothing was taken, no one called the police. He mentioned this to me in passing three weeks after it happened.

Jeff

 

[Trip20]

Witnessing an attempted motor vehicle burglary is entirely different than calling the PD because your UPS driver is not wearing brown.

The OP didn't witness a crime in any case other than some traffic infractions in the last scenario.

I doubt you'll ever meet an officer that'll suggest you not call the police. More calls = justification for bigger budgets!

 

[.cheese.]

btw - as for the UPS thing, remember - there was no UPS vehicle either. Just an SUV.

Also the guy not only wasn't wearing a uniform, but he was in ragged-looking clothes.

I suppose I got nervous on that one because a couple years ago a guy (mid 30's) drove up in a truck and rang the door-bell. Said his name was "John" and he was "a good friend of the owner of the house."

Well..... that being me - I don't know a John, and certainly not one who talked the way he did (he sounded like a druggy with slurred speech and everything. Said he wanted to come in and "catch up on things.".... I asked, "How is it the owner knows you?" and he replied with, "Oh man, we go back a long time. We were best friends for the longest time."

So I said, "Well, sorry bud, but you're talking to the owner and I don't know you."

He said, "Come on man, it's me.... maybe it's just been too long."

didn't give any details beyond that so I told him to bug off. He argued for a while and then drove off.

The next day I found out that my next-door neighbor had been tied to a chair in his house and robbed. I'm guessing it was the same guy. When I saw the officers taking reports, I put 2 and 2 together and told them about the incident.

At the time I figured it was a drunkard or druggy who didn't know where he was....

Ever since that day when something seems majorly out of order - I call the cops.

So that's the background behind everything - I should have started the thread with that.

 

[.cheese.]

I forgot to mention. By a "few years ago" - I mean more like 10 years ago.

 

[john paul]

just fine with me

You are the only one that can make the call whether or not you are overreacting. I mean how would you have felt if the ladies were in an abusive situation and you did nothing? Or if the reckless driver had swerved and hit those kids instead? But if a guy knocked on my door claiming to be UPS without a uniform he would have been told very politely to go the f*** away with the barrel of my 40 S&W P-10. But thats just me!

 

[Cosmoline]

She was being raped. Some women freeze, or are in too much shock to form 'words'!

First of all, I think that's a load of nonsense. Secondly, if I called the cops everytime I heard a scream, a moan or glass breaking I'd be on the phone at least once a day.

Once I had a man tell me he had witnessed an attempted motor vehicle burglary, went into the church (the car was in it's parking lot) got the owner and since nothing was taken, no one called the police. He mentioned this to me in passing three weeks after it happened.

But THAT was an actual crime. The incidents reported above were not crimes, except perhaps the third one involving reckless driving. Calling the cops to resolve your personal paranoia is not legitimate. 911 is for EMERGENCIES ONLY. That means a cry for help or considerable blood flowing.

 

[Jeff White]

Cosmoline said;

But THAT was an actual crime. The incidents reported above were not crimes, except perhaps the third one involving reckless driving. Calling the cops to resolve your personal paranoia is not legitimate. 911 is for EMERGENCIES ONLY. That means a cry for help or considerable blood flowing.

There are a lot of good criminal arrests made from suspicious person or suspicious vehicle reports. Most people know their neighborhood and they know when something is out of place or wrong. There isn't a thing wrong with calling it in.

Jeff

 

[ms.k]

!

Uh, what's nonsense Cosmoline? The story was in the news and the man was branded a hero because he beat the guy with the victims crutches. She never once yelled help, he just her her moaning, screaming what ever. If you mean women being in shock is nonsense, then you obviously never met too many rape survivors!