Why do police ask for your name?

They can ask about your name, address and age, or request your I.D. The police must have a reasonable suspicion – meaning a clear, specific and unbiased reason for suspecting that you committed, are committing, or are about to commit a crime. They cannot stop you simply because you “look suspicious.”

Can I call the cops anonymously?

To remain anonymous, the most important thing you can do is never hang up on 911. If you call 911 and ask to stay anonymous, the police officer should never know who made the call. If this rule is violated, you can call Internal Affairs at to register a complaint.

How do police answer the phone?

When you call 911, a call-taker will answer the phone and say “911” or “911, what’s your emergency?”. Ideally, you should tell the call-taker what the emergency is, for example: “My house is on fire!”

Can you get in trouble for filing a false police report?

Filing a false police report is a crime and can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony. This is an example of speech that is not protected by the First Amendment and is in fact considered a crime against justice itself. …

Do you get charged for calling police?

The police do not charge you for calling them. If you call 911 and don’t actually have an emergency then, depending on your municipality, there could be criminal or civil charges, but you will not be billed for calling the police.

What is a silent abusive call?

Silent or Abusive Calls to 9-1-1 Service: This crime is committed when a person makes a call to a 911 service when there is not an emergency and knowingly or intentionally remains silent or makes abusive or harassing statements to the person answering the call.

How do you call 911 silently?

Here’s how it works. Call 911, wait for an answer, then use your telephone’s keypad to “talk” to the dispatcher. Press 1 if you need police, 2 for fire and 3 for an ambulance. If the dispatcher asks you questions, 4 means “yes” and 5 means “no.”