Police: When should you call 911?

When you see or hear something that seems out of the ordinary or suspicious, and those little hairs stand up on the back of your neck - call 911.

I have had people call or email me several days after they spotted something suspicious in their neighborhood. This is a good thing to do, but a better thing to do is to call 911 immediately so our officers can respond quickly,while the activity is still going on.

Here it is in a nutshell. Sandy Springs has a full-time population of roughly 94,000 people. During a business weekday, the population can be as high as 300,000.  The Sandy Springs Police Department has 127 full time, 10 part time and 4 reserve policeofficers. 

The SSPD needs the help of its citizens to spot suspicious behavior and to call 911. You are the extra set of eyes and ears that we depend on to let us know about crime in your neck of the woods.

Now, calling 911 is not just for suspicious activity, it’s also if you need an ambulance or the Fire Department. Our 911 call-takers are very well trained and will ask you the necessary questions in order to determine which emergency service you need. The key is to sta ycalm, stay on the line and answer the call-takers questions.

If you happen to call 911 by mistake and hang up, wait for them to call you back.  It is the practice of our 911 call center to call back every 911 hang-up call.

Officer Larry Jacobs is the Crime Prevention Officer for theSandy Springs Police Department. He can be reached directly at ljacobs@sandyspringsga.gov.