911 for vending machine theft???

[baileydonk]

There is a sign posted on a candy vending machine downstairs from my office... "If you see anyone stealing from this machine, call 911 immediately".

I was taught that 911 is for life-threatening emergencies only. If I saw someone stealing money from an inanimate object like a vending machine, I would just make note of what the person looked like and call the local police station to file a report.

Am I wrong?

[MrJim911]

A theft in progress is something you can call 911 for. 911 may have once been promoted as a life or death emergency number only, but that's simply not the way it is anymore.

[mcaldwell]

Yup, around here, 911 is for just about everything. Nobody even publishes non-emergency Police numbers here anymore.

[needlejockey]

When I used to work as a 911 dispatcher I can't even remember how many times we used to get called for vending machine thefts. It was usually at this one vending machine in a trailer park. It got so bad we actually put the exact location of the vending machine in our Eagle Mapping system so we could give the PD the perfect directions to it. Sad, so so sad.

[SSTONER]

There is a sign posted on a candy vending machine downstairs from my office... "If you see anyone stealing from this machine, call 911 immediately".

I was taught that 911 is for life-threatening emergencies only. If I saw someone stealing money from an inanimate object like a vending machine, I would just make note of what the person looked like and call the local police station to file a report.

Am I wrong?

Here when you call 911 you get a PSAP(public safety answering point) - its usually a police department. They determine if its a LE matter or Fire/Medical Matter then transfer the call to the right agency.