What's a reasonable amount of time to wait on hold for non-emergency police calls?

**gvidas** · December-17-14, 04:23 PM

Currently at 17 minutes and change.

Stolen-looking car down the block, has been there all day. Figured I'd call and check at least if its been reported stolen.

Last time this happened [[with a much more obviously stolen car) I got up to about 25 minutes -- I think I had an entire shopping trip at Brooks in there -- before giving up.

So, what's a reasonable amount of time? I'm running out of idle tasks to pass the time.

MAcc · December-17-14, 04:31 PM

Last few times I called 911 in the burbs with a non emergency I waited exactly 0.0 seconds. Hand to God.

Willi · December-17-14, 04:34 PM

Reasonable compared to which major bankrupt city in the USA ?

**313WX** · December-17-14, 06:19 PM

17 and 25 minute wait times certainly wouldn't be reasonable in any normal major city...

Willi · December-17-14, 07:06 PM

But......we have abnormal circumstances

People have to grind thru the pain of rebirth

**MrJones** · December-17-14, 07:28 PM

B.S. Unless the dispatcher is on the phone with 200 people on hold, this is ridiculous. Now, which precinct is this, or were you calling downtown?

**Gpwrangler** · December-17-14, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by gvidas

Currently at 17 minutes and change.

Stolen-looking car down the block, has been there all day. Figured I'd call and check at least if its been reported stolen.

Last time this happened [[with a much more obviously stolen car) I got up to about 25 minutes -- I think I had an entire shopping trip at Brooks in there -- before giving up.

So, what's a reasonable amount of time? I'm running out of idle tasks to pass the time.

Post a pic! Include the plate. Maybe someone will recognize their car.

**gazhekwe** · December-17-14, 09:12 PM

I believe the OP called the non-emergency number, not 911. I called non-emergency in Titusville, Florida and waited about ten seconds. In Southfield, on another occasion, I waited about a minute.

**gvidas** · December-17-14, 11:38 PM

Hung up @ 21 minutes and change, never talked to anyone. Might try tomorrow if the car's still there. "Stolen-looking" meaning rifled-thru wallet/purse-clasp on front passenger seat, major scrapes across the entire back bumper at a consistent height, parked in an odd location in a neighborhood where stolen cars turn up regularly.

I was calling the # for "non emergency calls / abandoned cars": 313-267-4600, via here: http://www.detroitmi.gov/DetroitDash...edNumbers.aspx

As far as I can tell the options for responding to stolen & dumped cars are:
1. Call 911, feel like a jackass for thinking my petty shit is that important, probably get transferred to the non-emergency number anyway
2. call said number directly, wait on hold indefinitely
3. call a tow company and have them deal with it.

I'd go for #3 if it were missing wheels or windows, but this is still plausibly just a messy beat up car parked in an odd location.

In thinking on it further, I've had better luck [[read: someone answered the phone) in the past calling the local district directly. Maybe I'm just barking up the correctly labeled yet wrong tree.

**Nicodeme** · December-18-14, 12:09 AM

I called the same non-emergency number 2 nights ago to report a stolen iPhone. The first time I called, it rang and then there was just silence, like someone had picked up the phone but just wasn't responding, nothing to indicate I was on hold.

I called back again, same thing happened. Tried a third time and got someone right away, but half way through taking my information, the same thing happened where it was just silence. I stayed on the line for another 10 or so minutes hoping the guy would come back, but to no avail.

Certainly not expecting to get my phone back, but just felt like I ought to do something, since using Find My iPhone, I saw exactly where it was, lol.

**Gpwrangler** · December-18-14, 04:47 AM

Originally Posted by gvidas

Hung up @ 21 minutes and change, never talked to anyone. Might try tomorrow if the car's still there. "Stolen-looking" meaning rifled-thru wallet/purse-clasp on front passenger seat, major scrapes across the entire back bumper at a consistent height, parked in an odd location in a neighborhood where stolen cars turn up regularly.

I was calling the # for "non emergency calls / abandoned cars": 313-267-4600, via here: http://www.detroitmi.gov/DetroitDash...edNumbers.aspx

As far as I can tell the options for responding to stolen & dumped cars are:
1. Call 911, feel like a jackass for thinking my petty shit is that important, probably get transferred to the non-emergency number anyway
2. call said number directly, wait on hold indefinitely
3. call a tow company and have them deal with it.

I'd go for #3 if it were missing wheels or windows, but this is still plausibly just a messy beat up car parked in an odd location.

In thinking on it further, I've had better luck [[read: someone answered the phone) in the past calling the local district directly. Maybe I'm just barking up the correctly labeled yet wrong tree.

Here's another idea. There's a chance that car was stolen from an adjacent city. Try calling the nearest city's non emergency number. Give them the plate, make and color. Lots of times they can't be started so thieves push them across the city limits and strip them.

**Scottathew** · December-18-14, 08:20 AM

Report your troubles to the Mayor's office. Let them know what number you called and at what time.

Duggan seems rather committed to fixing these issues.

**Islandman** · December-18-14, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by Nicodeme

I called the same non-emergency number 2 nights ago to report a stolen iPhone. The first time I called, it rang and then there was just silence, like someone had picked up the phone but just wasn't responding, nothing to indicate I was on hold.

I called back again, same thing happened. Tried a third time and got someone right away, but half way through taking my information, the same thing happened where it was just silence. I stayed on the line for another 10 or so minutes hoping the guy would come back, but to no avail.

Certainly not expecting to get my phone back, but just felt like I ought to do something, since using Find My iPhone, I saw exactly where it was, lol.

So you found the phone but couldn't go get it? What if it was just laying in the street?

**Nicodeme** · December-18-14, 08:36 PM

I was tracking the phone as whoever stole it went from Meijer to some place on Schaefer near McNichols then they took 8 Mile to a house near 8 and Ryan. Wasn't about to go try and confront them over a phone.

**Scottathew** · December-18-14, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by Nicodeme

I was tracking the phone as whoever stole it went from Meijer to some place on Schaefer near McNichols then they took 8 Mile to a house near 8 and Ryan. Wasn't about to go try and confront them over a phone.

Totally agree on that one. You can replace or even live without a phone!