When To Call 911, When To Call 311
I have become aware of individuals who are letting their neighbors, other parents at a school or their friends know when they have become a victim of a crime-but have not informed the police.
There have been a few incidents where people have indicated that they do not know who to call when something has occurred or is occurring.
If you are a victim of a crime, please report it to police. Once the police take the report, they are able to establish if there is a pattern of this crime in our community. They may be able to arrest the criminal.
If the police do not have the report, and they do not know that there has been a crime, the criminal will not be caught.
Therefore, to help everyone understand when to call, here is a list of examples of the appropriate number to contact.
If you are a member of the community and you see someone doing something suspicious, call 911. Tell the operator what you see and why you feel it is suspicious behavior. The police will respond. If you are correct, your call and concern may prevent a crime from occurring.
If you have just become a victim of a crime, call 911. Do not wait until the next day to report the incident to police. If you let the police know as soon as possible, your information may help officers catch the suspect quickly.
If you hear a car alarm blaring, call 911.
Regarding the city’s 311 hotline, you should know that if you call 311 and the operator believes a call may be serioues, they will forward the call to the 911 hotline.
Here are other possible situations and the appropriate number to contact:
– Someone is trespassing on your property-call 911, as this is a crime in progress.
– Someone you do not know is walking in the alley behind homes- call 911.
– Someone is waiting inside a car in front of someone’s home-call 911.
– Cars are speeding or racing down your block-call 911; call 311 only to report past instances of speeding on your block.
– A car is blocking a driveway- call 311.
– Someone is trespassing in your neighbor’s yard-call 911.
– Youths are in the park after 9 p.m. at night-call 311.
– Someone is doing drugs on a corner-call 911.
– Youths are hanging out in front of a store or blocking a sidewalk- call 311.
– Someone is painting graffiti- call 911; call 311 if you notice graffiti has been painted previously and you wish to have it cleaned.
– Someone is acting unruly, screaming and posing a threat to themselves or others-call 911.
– Someone is sleeping on the street or in a park-call 311.
– Someone is being offensive to everyone in a park or threatening others- call 911.
– A house alarm is going off-call 911.
– A tree and/or branches have fallen and are blocking a street-call 311.
– Power lines are down-call 911.
– A loose dog is running through the neighborhood-call 311 or the North Shore Animal Rescue at 1-516- 883-1690 or the American Foundation of Animal Rescue at 1-718-205-5860 (for emergencies, call 911).
– There is a sick dog or cat walking through the neighborhood-call 311.
– A tractor-trailer is parked on your block-call 311. Other news
Rep. Grace Meng will be the guest speaker at the 112th Precinct Community Council’s next meeting on Wednesday night, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the 112th Precinct stationhouse, located at the corner of Austin Street and Yellowstone Boulevard in Forest Hills.
The council’s March meeting will feature a presentation on preventing violence against women. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, Mar. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the stationhouse.
Editor’s note: Heidi Harrison Chain is president of the 112th Precinct Community Council.
