Reporting a crime

Calling 9-1-1

To report an emergency, dial 911 immediately

Call 9-1-1:

  • To report a situation which requires a police officer at the scene.
  • To summon an ambulance for medical assistance;
  • To report a fire; or
  • To report in-progress crimes.
  • Report suspicious, criminal activity you are observing now (at the time you call).

Calling 9-1-1 Process

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Making the call

  • If the call isn’t answered immediately or if you hear silence, do not hang up and redial unless the silence lasts more than 8 seconds.
  • State the problem briefly, answer the operator’s questions, and stay on the line until the operator terminates the call. Officers can be dispatched while you are on the phone.
  • Inform the operator if you want to speak to officers or responders.
  • If the situation changes, please redial 911 and provide updates
  • Additional assistance:
    • Teletypewriter (TTY) users should press any key after dialing 911 to indicate that a TTY is being used. However, operators are trained to treat every “silent” call as a potential TTY call.
    • Language translators are available, but require additional assistance. Tell the operator what language you need and an interpreter will be added to the call.

Provide as much information as possible

Give the 911 operator as much specific information as you can including:

  • Location: Give the address to your apartment (including apartment floor, suite, or room number), duplex, house, business, intersection, or landmarks near you as reference. Though most cellphones have a Global Positioning System (GPS), it is essential you tell the operator your location as accuracy is dependent upon terrain, etc., and may vary greatly.
  • Suspect/Vehicle Descriptions: Giving thorough, specific information (don’t speculate) is essential.

Medical Assistance Calls: Some medical assistance calls require additional information and/or help. The operator will ask some basic questions and then transfer the call to an Emergency Medical Services dispatcher for instructions on what to do to assist the patient until help arrives.

What happens when you call

Police response

When you dial 911, your call will either be routed to the University of Minnesota Police Department (UMPD) if you are on campus, or the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) if you are off campus (e.g., Dinkytown).

Police response time will depend on officer availability and priority of your call. For example, if officers are responding to a violent crime in progress, they may not respond immediately to a situation which is not in progress and no one is in danger.

 

Reporting non-emergencies

To report a crime that is not an emergency and is not in progress, please DIAL (612) 624-COPS (2677) or stop by our lobby. You will meet with an officer who will obtain detailed information from you. The officer will be able to provide you with information on victim services, next steps and crime prevention information.

When reporting a crime, you will be asked many questions.  Here are some examples of information an officer will ask you about:

  • When the crime happened (date and time)
  • Where it happened 
  • Your name, contact information, State Driver’s License or ID number
  • Details of the event
  • Other people involved (suspect, if known; witnesses)
  • If property was involved, who owns it
  • The property owner's contact information
  • For a vehicles: Make, Model, Color, License Plate Number, Insurance-company name & policy number, etc. 
  • Property other than vehicles: Serial Number, Product Name, Manufacturer, Description, Condition, etc
  • For the details of the incident. There’s a section where you can describe in your own words, what happened.

Anonymous Threats Line

The University of Minnesota Police Department partners with community members to address issues of safety and security on campus.  It is important that there are multiple avenues for community members to share information with the department.  If you have information that you believe should be shared with UMPD, and you wish to remain anonymous, you may leave a voice message on the TIP Line at 612 624-TIPS (8477).  Please provide as much detail as you can including date, time, location, what the incident is, and the name(s) of the individuals involved.  If vehicles were involved, please provide license plate and a vehicle description, if known. 

If remaining anonymous is not important to you, please call us 612 624-2677 and a dispatcher will assist you at any time.  Please consider speaking with one of our dispatchers or a police officer to assist in the investigative process.

This Tips Line is not regularly monitored, if your matter is urgent or requires police response, please call 911.