Law Dispatcher

September 11th, 2001 rearranged the way Americans view other people.  We no longer board an aircraft with an middle eastern person on board and think nothing of it.  This mentality has carried over into our everyday lives.  People with suspicious looks and/or actions are called into question everyday and given what we’ve experienced in our past, it’s not without good reason.  Our lives have changed forever because of the actions of a few radicals.

If you see someone you think may be wanted or they are acting in a stange manor, call your local law enforcement agency.  Be prepared to describe the subject in detail and tell the calltaker exactly what the subject is doing.  The calltaker will also ask for the following information:  any weapons involved and if so what, has the subject left the area and if so in what direction and by what mode, is there anyone drinking or doing drugs.  If you think the subject has a warrant for their arrest, can you advise the name of the subject along with their date of birth and their race.  Also if you know what the warrant is for, give that information also.

It is not necessary for you to call in an adult who is walking down the street with a child of a different race or any other situation where there is no need for alarm.  Such unnecessary harassment is not well tolerated among LEO’s and could land you in hot water.

Use your commonsense and good judgement.  If it looks suspicious…call.  If it may be a life or death emergency, use 911…otherwise, know the non-emergency phone number to the local law enforcement office.

Did you ever see something that left you with the feeling that it just wasn’t right but you really couldn’t categorize it into any specific crime?  As a dispatcher, we often take calls from people who have seen something and have a hunch that something just isn’t right.  No big deal.  Local law enforcement has a way of dealing with such incidents.  The calltaker should ask you when you saw this situation and what exactly did you see.  They should record it on their computer and send it to dispatch.  A LEO should then investigate the incident and deal with it accordingly.  It is always helpful if you meet with the officer responding, that way, you can express to them what may not be obvious and why you think it’s suspicious.

Again, if it’s not a life or death emergency, don’t call 911.

In this day of “me-ism”, the lack of common courstey in driving is very apparent.  Such actions enrage other drivers and cause situations that can be deadly.  911 centers all over the country are bombarded with reckless driver calls.  Although it is virtually impossible for law enforcement to react to all these calls, there is a concerted effort made to at least let the officers in that particualar area know about it.

If you think that a driver who is driving recklessly could cause potential harm to another person, perhaps it is helpful if you call the local law enforcement center and let them know.  They will need the following information:  the location where this is occuring, the type of vehicle to include the make, model and color, the tag number of the vehicle, the direction in which the vehicle is travelling with updates given to the calltaker on a regular basis.  If you can obtain a brief description of the driver, that is helpful also.    The calltaker will want to know if you are going to continue to follow and if so, what kind of vehicle are you driving (to include make, model, color and tag).  The calltaker should be able to inform you if an officer is enroute to the situation.  There are times when no officers are available and it is advised that the caller pull over and wait for an officer to respond to them.  Some counties have hotlines available to call if you know the tag number of the offending vehicle.  It is a recording that you can leave the tag number on and they in turn will send the registered owner a letter stating that their vehicle has been spotted driving recklessly.  Small consolation to the driver who was nearly killed by the reckless one, but still better than nothing at all.  If a LEO does respond to the situation and he spots the reckless driver and has them pull over, you as the caller should also pull over behind the LEO.  Stay about 100 yards to officers rear and in your vehicle.  DO NOT get out of your vehicle.  The calltaker should advise the dispatcher that you have pulled over and will talk to the officer.

Not all reckless drivers are drunk or doing drugs.  Some have serious medical conditions that come to fruition while the driver is driving.  There is the occasional driver that is just not paying close attention to their driving or is distracted by other people or things.  It is in your best interest to be an alert driver and react to others in a cautious and courteous manner.

Please note:  You are required to follow all traffic laws despite what other drivers are doing.  If a reckless driver speeds through a red light and you are trying to follow them, you must obey the law and stop.  THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.

Use your common sense when it comes to dealing with this kind of sitaution.  If the driver is so reckless that they are bound to cause injury or death with their carelessness, then determine for yourself if it is indeed worth tying up a 911 line for.  If you’re unsure, ask the 911 operator.  They are willing to let you know if you should call another number.

Nothing is more annoying or ghastly to the eyesight than an abandoned vehicle sitting around. If you like your neighborhood cleaned up and looking nice, you will probably be one of the first to react to such a nuisance. There is a quick and easy way to take care of that. Call your non-emergency number to your local law enforcement office and report it. Depending on where the vehicle is parked and the local ordinances, it may be as simple as you making a call to a tow company to come tow it away. The calltaker should be able to instruct you in how to proceed.   If the situation calls for law enforcement involvement, have the following information available when you call: the address of the vehicle, anyone seen in or around the vehicle, the vehicle description to include the make, model and color. The tag number will also be helpful. If there is no tag on the vehicle and it is safe to do so, try to get the VIN number off of it. It is also helpful if you would make yourself available to the responding officer to direct them to the vehicle.

It’s a simple process and doesn’t require much effort. It is also a non-emergency situation unless there is a threat to life or property. Therefore, please do not call 911 for this type of call.

A stolen vehicle is a felony offense and as such careful consideration needs to be taken when reporting such. The way a stolen vehicle is reported can result in someone being pulled over and hauled out of a vehicle at gun point or it could be as simple as the LEO calling and notifying the owner that their vehicle has been spotted. Let me explain. If your vehicle is gone and you have no idea where it could be or who could have taken it, you have the right to file a stolen vehicle report. As such, a APB (all points bulletin) or a BOLO (be on the lookout for) will be issued containing the vehicle description, tag number, VIN number, possible suspect and description of them, where the vehicle was last seen and the approximate time the vehicle was taken. Should a LEO spot this vehicle or do a traffic stop and run the tag, this vehicle should come up listed as stolen. If the LEO hasn’t already done a traffic stop, they will attempt to do so. Once the vehicle has been stopped, the driver of the vehicle will be pulled from the vehicle and thrown to the ground at gun point. They will be charged with the offense and spend some time in jail.

If however, you think you might just know who has taken your vehicle, it may be better for you to do an ATL (attempt to locate) on your vehicle. This type of reporting is usually done when the vehicle is taken by a family member or friend and the complainant does not wish for the driver to be held at gun point. Many parents will use this type of reporting when their child has taken their vehicle so as to avoid dragging the situation thru the courts and encountering costs and further humiliation.

It is important that you KNOW for sure that your vehicle has been stolen. You will be asked the for the following information when you call to report it: What is the make, model and year of the vehicle, the color, number of doors, tag number, VIN number (if known. This information will be on the title of the vehicle so have that ready for the officer when they come to take the report.) who could have possibly taken the vehicle, was it a repossession, any weapons in the vehicle and when was the vehicle last seen.

As a side note, please do not call when you see a tow truck back up and take your vehicle. It’s most likely that you haven’t paid your auto loan and they have come to repossess the vehicle or else the loan processing center has not yet received and processed your last payment. Call your loaning agency and work out the details thru them.

On rare occasions, you may witness your vehicle being stolen. This IS a 911 emergency. Stay calm and answer the operators questions. Make sure you state that the incident is in progress. Note the description of the subject and the direction that they are leaving in. Also, make note of any weapons seen on the subject or any left in the vehicle and exactly what kind of weapon. After terminating the phone call to 911, stay put and wait for the officer to respond to you.

Recently, an acquaintance of mine was killed because of an attempted theft of his vehicle. It is thought that he may have put up a fight with the would-be thief. The end result…approximately 20 bullets to the head and chest area. Thankfully, he was prepared to die because just a few years prior, he had accepted Christ as his personal Savior and was a great influence on his peers, bringing many of them to Christ also. His death was not in vain causing many to profess Christ after his death. However, I can’t help but wonder what would of happen if he had not refused to give up his vehicle. Would he still be alive? We will never know. The true irony of this situation is that he had just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. Consequently, the subject and his mother were arrested. The incident was drug related unfortunately.

Stolen vehicles have the potential to become a deadly incident. Do NOT try to stop it on your own. Call 911 immediately if it is in progress. If it is not, please call the non-emergency number to your local law enforcement agency.