The first step in stopping crime is CALLING THE POLICE. Citizens can help the police and their neighbors by being alert, watching what is going on in the neighborhood, and looking out for the safety of children and residents.
1. ANYONE CAN REPORT CRIMINAL OR SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY TO THE POLICE.
2. THE TYPE OF ACTIVITY WILL DETERMINE WHAT NUMBER TO USE IN CALLING THE POLICE.
3. DIAL 911 IF:
The activity is IN PROGRESS
and
REQUIRES AN IMMEDIATE
RESPONSE
Examples:
· Fights in progress
· Property damage in progress
· Violent domestic disturbance incident
· Any situation where someone is being hurt
4. DIAL THE NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER FOR ALL OTHER CALLS: Examples include:
5. HOW DO I CALL THE POLICE?
For EMERGENCY CALLS ONLY
DIAL 9-1-1
For NON-EMERGENCY CALLS
Call Dane County Communications Center at
DIAL 255-2345
HELP WILL BE SENT AS
SOON AS YOU HELP THE DISPATCHER GATHER ENOUGH INFORMATION TO DISPATCH THE CALL
6. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CALL THE DANE COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER?
You will talk with a dispatcher who is trained to get information from you to help you and your neighbors.
It is very important to remain calm and clearly answer all the questions you are asked by the dispatcher.
7. The dispatcher will ask you questions about why you are calling. Be able to answer questions about the 5 W’s:
Who – Who is calling? Who is involved in the incident (if known)? Who witnessed the incident?
What – What is happening? What weapons are being used (if any)? What is the status of any injured persons?
Where – Where is the incident happening (be specific)? What is the location of the incident (in a building, in a car, in the street)?
When – When is the incident occurring? If now, then tell the dispatcher that the incident is “IN-PROGRESS”.
Why – Tell the dispatcher why the incident occurred (if known). Example: Did a traffic accident cause a fight?
8. BE PREPARED TO GIVE A DESCRIPTION OF ANY PEOPLE OR
VEHICLES INVOLVED.
9. WHEN DESCRIBING PEOPLE, GIVE INFORMATION (IF KNOWN) IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER:
SEX, RACE, AGE OR APPROXIMATE AGE, HEIGHT, WEIGHT, HAIR COLOR, HAIR LENGTH AND STYLE, CLOTHING DESCRIPTION AND OTHER DESCRIPTORS (SCARS, MARKS, TATTOOS, FACIAL HAIR)
10. WHEN DESCRIBING VEHICLES, GIVE INFORMATION USING THE ACRONYM C.Y.M.B.A.L.
COLOR YEAR MAKE BODY And LICENSE
11. WHEN CALLING THE DANE COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER, DISPATCHERS WILL ASK FOR YOUR NAME AND PHONE NUMBER.
12. NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING CALLERS:
The Dane County Communications Center can accommodate 140 different languages through an interpreting service.
When a non-English speaking person calls the Communications Center and the dispatcher ascertains that the person calling needs an interpreter, it takes approximately one (1) minute to get the interpreter on the line. It may take longer if a particular language dialect must be identified.
13. If you have a question or comment for the Town of Madison Police Department, you may:
Call anytime (24 hours) to speak to an officer – use Dane County Communications Number - 255-2345
To talk with a Supervisor or the Chief of Police, call 608-210-7262
14. If you have a question or comment for the Dane County Communications Center, you may:
Contact a Supervisor at 608-267-3913 (24 hours)
Contact the Operations Manager at 608-267-3912 OR e-mail at:
mailto:ellingson@co.dane.wi.us
AND
DANE COUNTY JOINING FORCES FOR
FAMILIES