We recently had a rash of car break-in incidents. Most of the metro area counties have the same patterns of thefts within the bedroom communities that border Atlanta. We spend a great deal of time and effort analyzing crime patterns and part of that process is matching arrests with victim's and witness's call to 9-1-1 to report what they see. Unfortunately, we learned we had witnesses to a suspect who was in fact breaking into cars. Unfortunately still, they waited during a critical time that quite possibly could have netted an arrest or two. That time frame equaled almost thirty minutes--an eternity in our business. Remember the acronym K.I.S.S. or Keep It Simple Stupid? It's a good one to remember so, let's look at a few of what I call absolutes when you think something is going wrong and you need the cops.
1. Don't Second Guess.
I'm putting an exclamation point here (!.) There. That means don't start thinking about "Well maybe it's nothing and I don't want to get the neighborhood all riled up when the cops show up." Second guessing is your worst enemy for no other reason than it creates a time gap. The response time may be only a couple of minutes but that's a lot in getaway time. Your first impression is usually the most accurate. We're quite accomplished at apologizing to legit folks who someone thought may have been committing a crime. On the other hand, someone in your driveway at 2 am should be an automatic call to 9-1-1.
2. I Don't Want to Get Involved.
Okay don't. We don't HAVE to come to your house. You can tell the call taker that you don't want the cops at the home but do give us good precise information on locations and descriptions.
3. Just the Facts
Sergeant Friday, an American Hero, said it best. What, Where, and Who. The call taker will prompt you. Don't worry about the circumstances that led to the call. We'll get that later. Quick information on what you saw is best.
4. Stay on the Line
If the crime is in progress, the call taker will have you stay on the line and give the play by play as long as you see the action. Stay put and stay safe but updated information is always important.
5. Don't Enter the Playing Field
After the action clears, we'll come to you. Chasing bad guys in he dark isn't a good thing.
Bottom line is this: Don't hesitate. Call. Most 9-1-1 calls on circumstances like this are unfounded. Don't worry. We don't charge for them. One good call is well worth a dozen that don't pan out and here's he best part. If you make the call that leads to our arresting some bottom-feeder breaking into cars, I will see that you get a free BBQ sandwich at the World Famous Slopes BBQ! Yessir, I'm talking lunch with the cops. Needless to say, you will be the talk of the neighborhood.
Stay safe folks. Give us a call!