We have all seen it- the guy checking car door handles, the woman following the Amazon truck. What to do? If you want Naples to be safe, take the time to call LBPD!
Calls to both 911 and the Non-Emergency number (562-435-6711) in Long Beach go to the exact same dispatch. So which do you call?
According to our East Division Commander Michael Richens, if you have a suspect and a location, call 911. If not, call the Non-Emergency number.
If you see someone checking door handles, casing homes, stealing mail – that’s a crime in progress– call 911. Obviously, this also includes serious crimes like someone trying to break into your home or attacking someone on the street.
If you come home and find your patio furniture missing, hear distant, or discover someone sideswiped your car – that’s a non-emergency call.
Dispatchers are no longer police employees. They work for the city in the Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communication Department, and handle calls for police, fire, and emergency medical services citywide.
When you call, Dispatch will take a report and possibly ask you more questions or advise on the next steps, and prioritize the call appropriately. Never fear that by calling you are ‘taking resources away from something more important’. As the Commander says, “we want you to call us.”
At the end of the call, always request Contact from the officer, and ask for your Call Number. The officer will reach out to you in person or by phone and let you know the result. The call number allows you to call back on the NE Number anytime and ask what happened- was an officer sent? Did they find the person? Was an arrest made?
If you ever feel like your call isn’t handled properly, you have a few options. First, while on the call, ask for a Supervisor. Alternatively, after the fact, send your call number and the date to the Commander. He can listen to the recording and take corrective action if needed.
LBPD can’t keep us safe without knowing what’s happening on the Island. Calls get us patrols and let the bad guys know Naples isn’t the place for them to be!