As a result of having more situational awareness as of late, I'm noticing the things that don't fit. For instance, I drove by a large woman beating up a small man the other day. I called that in. Tonight I drove by a tall guy walking purposefully across the street in a known drug area with a canvas jacket slung over his right side. It's 82 degrees. Looked not right to me. Looked like a great way to conceal a long gun. I kept driving and called it in. So my question is this: do I call LE about this stuff? Is it helpful? I'm no Rambo and go the other direction, try to be a discrete but good witness. But in calling in "suspicious activity" am I helping, or hurting, or neither? If it's near my home or my office, my threshhold to call in is lower. Opinions? Facts?
Situation awareness - what to report?
- Thread starter FriedRice
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rainbowbob
Member
Active violent encounter = call it in.
Guy with coat slung over his shoulder not approaching me threateningly = zero response.
Guy with coat slung over his shoulder not approaching me threateningly = zero response.
Powerglide
Member
Yip rainbow. We can keep this nation from becoming what all the alarmists are thinking it is becoming. I agree with you.
The only person that can answer that question is you. I usually tell people to trust their gut, if something seems wrong it most likely is. If you feel the need to call in some suspicious activity then go ahead. You may be stopping a potential crime or you may just make the cops patrol a little more instead of sitting in their cruisers chatting on their phones.
Ragnar Danneskjold
Member
This. They get paid to go do stuff. The dispatcher/desk SGT will decide which calls are worth sending officers to. If I were you, I would get your local non-emergency police number so that you're not taking up a 911 operator's time. You never really know which calls will bear fruit and which one's won't. Big crimes investigations have been blown open because some stay-at-home called in a suspicious vehicle when most others would not have. You never really know.
cassandrasdaddy
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i drive early am through several neighborhoods every day
and i call when i see things
i did have one a few weeks back was a tuff call. picked up a hitch hiker nice enough young man but he was a lil off. as in someone who stopped taking meds off. possibly a runaway. he was off enough that i was concerned for his safety. i hada ponder for a while but i called on him too, but only because i have confidence in the cops round here being able to distinguish between a crime call and an assistance call. there are areas i wouldn't call dc comes to mind
and i call when i see things
i did have one a few weeks back was a tuff call. picked up a hitch hiker nice enough young man but he was a lil off. as in someone who stopped taking meds off. possibly a runaway. he was off enough that i was concerned for his safety. i hada ponder for a while but i called on him too, but only because i have confidence in the cops round here being able to distinguish between a crime call and an assistance call. there are areas i wouldn't call dc comes to mind
The first I called in to 911 because it was in progress. The second got routed to non-emergency, which I understand. The second actually felt more serious because it looked like it was going to happen and a gun may be involved. Had the hair stand up on the back of my neck as I drove by him. The first guy just got a couple fists in the face. Good advice on the non-emergency dispatch number though. I also emailed the local LE guy I know and just asked what to do with this kind of stuff. I'd been watching dealing go on for weeks and kept my head down. When I met with him about another matter he knew a few details about the dealing. Turns out another office guy could recite who did what on what day and which direction they left in and the make and model of cars involved. So we watch, but lots don't say anything. I don't want drugs dealt on the hood of my car. And I don't want homeless people beat up on the street (that was a month ago). We will see what local LE has to say...
Dial 911 and die.
I called in a suspicious situation a couple weeks back and was put on hold for 90 seconds. When the operator came on she grilled me as to why I called. Said a BG stopped in front of my house and appeared to get out and retrieve a weapon from his trunk, got back in his car a drove off only to come walking down the middle of the street with what looked like a rifle at his side a few minutes later. I ended hanging up in frustration. About a minute later I heard a women screaming a few doors down. They called 911 and the call was now taken seriously and 1st responders showed up 15 minutes later. I'll never call 911 again, NEVER.
That all said, we all have phones with cameras in them. If you see something suspicious take a photo and send to your computer before sharing with anybody. Learn from the mistakes of others such as the incident in Las Vegas where the police killed a shopper and destroyed the evidence.
I called in a suspicious situation a couple weeks back and was put on hold for 90 seconds. When the operator came on she grilled me as to why I called. Said a BG stopped in front of my house and appeared to get out and retrieve a weapon from his trunk, got back in his car a drove off only to come walking down the middle of the street with what looked like a rifle at his side a few minutes later. I ended hanging up in frustration. About a minute later I heard a women screaming a few doors down. They called 911 and the call was now taken seriously and 1st responders showed up 15 minutes later. I'll never call 911 again, NEVER.
That all said, we all have phones with cameras in them. If you see something suspicious take a photo and send to your computer before sharing with anybody. Learn from the mistakes of others such as the incident in Las Vegas where the police killed a shopper and destroyed the evidence.
Shadow 7D
Member
Eh, police, medics and armies, people who we all really are better off if they never have a job to do, unfortunately we don't live in such a utopia, and they have have jobs that must be done. Lets just hope that they remember it.
The OP's question may be overly broad, so I'm not sure there is any kind of coherent answer possible. The definition of "suspicious" in this context is as complicated as life itself.
You know where you live. You know what is normal and what isn't. The police don't need to be called every time you see something suspicious, but they should be called when something has caused you to become greatly alarmed.
People fighting on the street? Maybe, maybe not. Man with jacket on shoulder? No.
Think of it this way: your police services are a limited community resource. They can't be everywhere, so only deploy them when you deem it critically necessary. Last time I called them was several years ago, when I thought some people were casing my neighborhood.
You know where you live. You know what is normal and what isn't. The police don't need to be called every time you see something suspicious, but they should be called when something has caused you to become greatly alarmed.
People fighting on the street? Maybe, maybe not. Man with jacket on shoulder? No.
Think of it this way: your police services are a limited community resource. They can't be everywhere, so only deploy them when you deem it critically necessary. Last time I called them was several years ago, when I thought some people were casing my neighborhood.
rainbowbob
Member
I realize that sometimes the hair on your neck will stand up based on what appears to be suspicious behavior.
I do not agree that the the police should be "put to work" chasing down calls about a guy with a coat slung over his shoulder on a warm day - or any other non-violent, non-criminal behavior.
I suspect that those posters who suggest you should call in everything that tweaks your "Spidey Sense" and "make the cops patrol a little more instead of sitting in their cruisers" are the most likely to complain bitterly that the response time is so slow when there is a REAL emergency.
I believe there may be a direct connection between too many nuisance calls and a lack of rapid response time.
There are a lot of factors at work here.
I live in a nice, older suburb in the midwest; a major interstate drug artery passes through and provides ingress from and egress to a city with one of the highest crime rates in the country and two nearby "meth" counties. Yet the violent crime rate is low.
Last year, I observed a strange pickup truck stopping and waiting on our street in the early morning ours. No one got in our out. The truck left after about twenty minutes, and came back half an hour later and repeated the cycle.
I told the neighbors the next day, and the police were notified. Next time call 911, they said. Same advice from a friend who is a police dispatcher in a neighboring community.
But--down town, in the city? Waste of time. They can't even respond to robberies in progress. The other day two patrolman were taken off a carjacking case just as soon as they could ascertain that no one had been kidnapped.
Depends....
I live in a nice, older suburb in the midwest; a major interstate drug artery passes through and provides ingress from and egress to a city with one of the highest crime rates in the country and two nearby "meth" counties. Yet the violent crime rate is low.
Last year, I observed a strange pickup truck stopping and waiting on our street in the early morning ours. No one got in our out. The truck left after about twenty minutes, and came back half an hour later and repeated the cycle.
I told the neighbors the next day, and the police were notified. Next time call 911, they said. Same advice from a friend who is a police dispatcher in a neighboring community.
But--down town, in the city? Waste of time. They can't even respond to robberies in progress. The other day two patrolman were taken off a carjacking case just as soon as they could ascertain that no one had been kidnapped.
Depends....
bigfatdave
Member
You're right, it would be awful if he hurt someone with a gun instead of an axe or fists.
Ledgehammer
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I see suspicious people all the time here in Jacksonville. Grown men walking arou d in 100 degree heat wearing hooded sweatshirts with the hoods pulled up in the middle of the day. Or I've seen them with a towel draped over their head and the hood pulled over that. Walking through mall parking lots looking in carswhen you saw them take the bus.
You know they're doing it for concealment, but it's not illegal. So I don't call but I watch them.
You know they're doing it for concealment, but it's not illegal. So I don't call but I watch them.
rscalzo
Member
Probably because like my department the cheap ass crap radios don't work and more work is done using cells than the town's radio system.
As far as random patrol, it was proven years ago to have little to no effect on the crime rate.
Do you go around setting fires to get your money's worth from the fire department? Cut off kid's on bike's and cover your cost on the paramedics.
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I'm friends with several current and former LEO's. I can't count the times I've heard them laugh about how they don't do much except drive around and talk on the phone. I've actually been on the phone with a few of them while they were bored and patrolling or doing speed enforcement.
MikeNice
Member
I make it a general rule to only call it in if I feel it is something that seems really serious. A guy with a coat might have just got it back fom his ex girlfriend. A woman beating on someone is committing a crime.
It is hard to say exactly when you should call. However, take time to think about how many non-criminal and logical reasons there could be.
I have called in more than a couple of suspicious vehicles over the years. I have also called in drivers that appeared drunk, or were endangering others.
It is hard to say exactly when you should call. However, take time to think about how many non-criminal and logical reasons there could be.
I have called in more than a couple of suspicious vehicles over the years. I have also called in drivers that appeared drunk, or were endangering others.
I asked my office partner about the guy because she saw him, too. She's from Philly so her response was "yeah, it looked like he was headed off to do something bad. I'd just turn the corner and pretend I didn't see it, not make eye contact. He was going after someone else." I hear ya on overcalling the Spidey Sense but every chance I've had to follow up and see if it was bad, it was bad. Hair on neck up = danger.
So she saw it, too. There might have been a logical reason but we both registered "danger about to happen." Whereas the assault was likely over before LE got there, so what value is that? I remain confused.
Dave, I'm not sure if you were being sarcastic. The brawl was over and I didn't see a weapon. However, gun raises the stakes. I enjoy my guns. I also know I can do much more damage with them if mishandled or needed than my fists.
So she saw it, too. There might have been a logical reason but we both registered "danger about to happen." Whereas the assault was likely over before LE got there, so what value is that? I remain confused.
Dave, I'm not sure if you were being sarcastic. The brawl was over and I didn't see a weapon. However, gun raises the stakes. I enjoy my guns. I also know I can do much more damage with them if mishandled or needed than my fists.
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My thoughts is that if something sets off your gut feeling that something bad is happening you should call it in.
I agree with the caller who said get the local Police Department's non emergency number and call in to that if is not an active crime.
I had a professor who always talked about "Linkage Blindness", basicaly something that just seems wrong to you could be something someone else is looking for.
There could be a detective somewhere looking for a burglary suspect whose MO is to carry his burglary tools in a jacket slung over his shoulder. If you think something is wrong report it, if it is nothing there is no harm done.
My rules
Actively dangerous situation = call 911
Suspicious activity = call non emergency PD number
P.S.
When you see officers sitting in a patrol car you don't know what they are doing. They could be doing reports for the calls they were just at, they could be looking at activity from other shifts for the same area, there are lots of reasons for an officer to be sitting in his patrol car. Much of the work that used to be done at the station in the past can be done from the patrol cars these days.
I agree with the caller who said get the local Police Department's non emergency number and call in to that if is not an active crime.
I had a professor who always talked about "Linkage Blindness", basicaly something that just seems wrong to you could be something someone else is looking for.
There could be a detective somewhere looking for a burglary suspect whose MO is to carry his burglary tools in a jacket slung over his shoulder. If you think something is wrong report it, if it is nothing there is no harm done.
My rules
Actively dangerous situation = call 911
Suspicious activity = call non emergency PD number
P.S.
When you see officers sitting in a patrol car you don't know what they are doing. They could be doing reports for the calls they were just at, they could be looking at activity from other shifts for the same area, there are lots of reasons for an officer to be sitting in his patrol car. Much of the work that used to be done at the station in the past can be done from the patrol cars these days.
Powerglide
Member
Well the police have a job, yes, but the ones in my little town go to great lengths to ticket tag lights and such.But, there is a 9 year old drug ring in a hamburger joint and they all refuse to SEE it or CARE. They tell me that 3 letter agencies are handling it.BS, I worked for a 3 letter agency for years and nobody spends that lmuch time on a drug bust.
wheelgunslinger
Member
I don't really bother calling anything in that looks suspicious.
I try to remember details and such, in case. But, we all have to be responsible for our own safety.
I try to remember details and such, in case. But, we all have to be responsible for our own safety.
bigfatdave
Member
You can make someone more deader with a gun than you can by choking them or running them over?
I don't understand why the guessed presence of a firearm makes the possibility of violence worse, but maybe guns do kill people deader than other tools.
Chemistry Guy
Member
The safer the neighborhood the lower the threshhold for calling the police and getting a response. When I lived in an urban area, my girlfriend (wife now) called the police when a junkie was shooting up on the front steps of her apartment building. The police didn't respond, though, because he was not being violent.
In my neighborhood now, the area is a small suburban village and many of the residents are on a first name basis with the chief and most of the 10 or so police officers. I know of several cases where the police were called because an older model car was seen on a one way street where it did not fit in with the fancy cars that the street's residents and their guests usually drive, and I've also seen that the police show up every time a car alarm goes off for more than 30 seconds, usually within 2-3 minutes.
I don't know if it is right, but I kinda let the neighborhood be a deciding factor when I consider calling the police. I think it is up to the neighborhood as a whole how they want to balance crime/privacy, and I know that people choose neighborhoods based on this privacy/safety balance. so I don't feel guilty calling the police for something on my street that would never get a response in rougher neighborhoods.
In my neighborhood now, the area is a small suburban village and many of the residents are on a first name basis with the chief and most of the 10 or so police officers. I know of several cases where the police were called because an older model car was seen on a one way street where it did not fit in with the fancy cars that the street's residents and their guests usually drive, and I've also seen that the police show up every time a car alarm goes off for more than 30 seconds, usually within 2-3 minutes.
I don't know if it is right, but I kinda let the neighborhood be a deciding factor when I consider calling the police. I think it is up to the neighborhood as a whole how they want to balance crime/privacy, and I know that people choose neighborhoods based on this privacy/safety balance. so I don't feel guilty calling the police for something on my street that would never get a response in rougher neighborhoods.
rainbowbob
Member
You may have both registered "danger about to happen" (and you may have even been right) - but you did not witness anything bad actually happening, i.e., anything reportable.
Police Operator: "What are you calling to report"
You: "A guy with a coat slung over his shoulder on a warm day!"
Police Operator: "I'll send someone right away!"
It just doesn't make sense to me to call in everything that I feel uncomfortable about.
How about calling in a "man with a gun" when you observe someone open carrying? You might not - but there are plenty of people who would.
How about calling in "man with baggy pants displaying the top of his boxers and wearing a hoody in a neighborhood of upscale homes"?
How about "guy with long hair and tattoos and body piercings"?
I could go on and on...the point is, I will call in a crime in progress or obviously suspicious behavior - not behavior or appearances that merely make me uncomfortable.
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