Non-Emergencies and tips for Cellular Callers

What to do when you need help but it's not an emergency

Dial 989-673-8738 and tell the operator the problem

The operator will ask you questions and tell you when to hang up.

What are non-emergency calls?

• Property damage accidents (Fender benders)
• Break-in to a vehicle (when suspect is gone)
• Theft of property (when suspect is gone)
• Vandalism (when suspect is gone)
• Intoxicated persons who are NOT disorderly
• Cars blocking the road

Some Don't Do's for 911

Never program 911 into a memory location or speed dial, it's the one number you'll most likely never forget. When this number IS on speed dial, we get accidental calls from people pushing the wrong button.

Never call 911 and just hang up, our policy on "hang up" calls is to call back and attempt to verify an emergency situation. If we cannot verify to our satisfaction that everything is alright, our policy is to send police officers to the indicated address. This is to ensure that a person who is incapacitated can receive help without having to talk on the phone. Unfortunately, many "hang up" calls are false, which results in wasted police manpower and resources to respond. False calls cost you money and tie up officers who are needed on other calls.

Cellular Phone Users

Cellular phones do not work the same way as land lines. If you dial 911 from a cellular phone, please remember: Stay calm, we will not receive location or phone number information on a cellular call, and what you tell us is the only information we have to determine how to respond.

Know where you are: We need location information from you and we have to determine if you are within our jurisdiction. If you are not, we will have to transfer the call.

Know your mobile number: We will ask for it in case the call is disconnected and we need to call you back for further information. Always leave your phone on so we can call you back.

Try to use the seven digit number if your call is not extremely urgent. 989-673-8738. Sometimes this can be faster than using 911 because you directly reach the agency you need without a call having to be transferred.

It is a good idea to program the seven digit numbers for all law enforcement agencies within your travel area into your cellular phone. Again, never program 911 into the phone's memory.