When to call 911 versus non-emergency

by Melanie Romano, 6^th District Community Services Officer, Montgomery County Police Department

Do you know when to call 911 versus the non-emergency number? Calling 911 for non-urgent situations can overwhelm the system. Instead, residents are advised to use the Montgomery County Police non-emergency line at 301-279-8000 for issues that don’t require immediate police, fire or medical response. Help reduce the strain on 911 and improve response times; check below to see which number to call in different situations.

Emergency (911)

• Life or death situations
• In-progress or just occurred
  • Assaults
  • Robberies
  • Burglaries
  • Sound of gunshots
  • Vehicle collisions with injuries
• Any serious medical problem
• Fire

Non-emergency (301-279-8000)

• Crimes not in progress
• Theft from vehicle
• Noise complaint
• Neighborhood issues
• Report road obstruction
• Animal control