When to call 911
Call 9-1-1 for any situation that requires the police, fire department, or an ambulance to respond to a location.
For Police, call 911 to:
- Report a situation that requires a police officer at the scene (for example: assaults, burglaries, kidnapping, domestic disputes, auto theft, accidents in which there are injures / or it is unknown whether injuries have occurred, etc.).
- Report a crime that is in progress
- Report suspicious criminal activity that you witness (for example: sounds of shots fired, cries for help, sounds of glass breaking or if you see an unfamiliar person carrying items from a house).
- There are certain non-emergency crimes that can be reported online or through the city’s 311 service if they have not just occurred. For more information, click here.
Do not call your local police precinct if you need a response, all police dispatching is done through the Minneapolis 9-1-1 Center.
If There Is A Situation That Requires An Ambulance Or The Fire Department To Respond, Call 911 Immediately!
When NOT to call 911
- Do not call for directions
- Do not call for legal advice
- Do not call for information about animal control issues
- Do not call to find out if someone is in jail. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Jail Roster is available online. You can also call the jail at: 612-348-5112.
- Do not call to report city issues that do not need police, fire, or an ambulance to respond. Refer to the government pages of the local telephone directory or call 311.
If you are not sure whether to call 9-1-1, give us a call and the 9-1-1 operator can direct you.
Last updated Oct. 11, 2011