For any local complaints, we suggest you use the direct line to Grandview Police, which is 882-2000. The use of 911 dialing for an emergency situation might be more convenient, but it is important for you to understand how that works. If you call Grandview Dispatch at 882-2000, you will be speaking with one of our dispatchers right here at the police department. They know the area, they can talk directly to our patrol officers via radio, and generally will be able to help you better for local emergencies. If you dial 911, you will be speaking with an emergency dispatcher at a call center in Yakima. They may have better resources for tracking calls or addresses, but they do NOT know our area and they cannot talk directly with our patrol officers. In most cases, if they receive an emergency police call for Grandview, they will transfer the call to our dispatch center. Therefore, you have reached us anyway but it has taken more time to do so than if you had dialed us directly. Take that into consideration when you make the decision which number to dial.
The purpose of the following information is to maximize your effectiveness of reporting a problem of any kind to us. In some examples below, we will focus on some of the most common scenarios that we deal with when citizens wish to report an in progress (happening right now) complaint. There is additional information included here which you may find helpful.
Please understand that in an emergency situation, it is easy for you to simply say please send someone and believe thats all we need to know. Keep in mind we have a number of different resources available to us to respond to certain calls. Additionally, depending on what the situation is, our method of response (the tactics we use) is in large part dictated by what is happening. In order for us to evaluate that and respond in the proper fashion, we must know at least some of the specific details.
Our dispatchers are trained to get as much information from you as possible. In some cases they may advise an officer of the call and then get additional information from you while he is on his way. In other cases, a dispatcher may need to know more specific information BEFORE the officer can be sent. The few extra seconds you take to answer the dispatchers questions can be a lot of help to the responding officer and make a difference in how well we are able to handle the situation that is occurring.
Please, in ALL cases, identify yourself by full name, address, and phone number. If something happens and the phone connection is interrupted, we can then re-establish contact with you in some way. Stay calm and focus on relaying information in as clear a manner as possible. Stay on the line with the police dispatcher until all information is relayed and, in some cases, until the police have arrived on scene.
Example #1: Traffic complaints Speeding, Reckless Driving, etc.
1) Place a phone call to Grandview Police dispatch immediately (882-2000)
2) Give a clear but brief description of the problem
3) Describe any violator vehicle as completely as possible to include, if possible:
a) license plate number
b) make/model/ color
d) current location
e) direction of travel
f) description/ gender/ number of occupants in the vehicle
If specific information is unavailable, give information that will aid the officer in identifying the vehicle; for example, A large black pickup truck with a lawn mower in the back, or something that is unusual or different about that vehicle. In this example, if you were to simply say black pickup truck, you would be amazed to know how many different black pickup trucks we will run across as we respond!
If directions north, south, east, or west are difficult for you, try to make a reference to known streets, for example, The vehicle is headed towards Euclid on Groom Lane. If you are able to observe which direction a vehicle turns at an intersection, that is extremely helpful to us as well. It would be a good idea for you to become familiar with the directions north/south/east/west for your specific area prior to an emergency so you can better assist us if an emergency does occur.
A common police call for service is one where unknown subjects are fighting, or there is screaming/ yelling, or general commotion without a clear understanding of what is occurring. In this type of incident the following procedure should be utilized:
1) Call the Grandview Police dispatch immediately (882-2000)
2) Give an exact location where the incident is occurring, either the exact street address, or the street with a block number, or closest intersecting street.
3) Describe who is involved in the incident, give a general description of the:
a) number of subjects involved
b) gender/approximate age/general descriptors of subjects involved, for example, thin, ball cap, glasses, white T-shirt, etc.
c) give a brief explanation of what is occurring
d) if subjects leave the scene, describe their current location and the direction they are traveling
e) if possible, stay on the line until police arrive on scene or until told to disconnect by the police dispatcher.
Example #3 Property Crime Burglary, Trespassing, etc
If unwanted subjects are on your property or on your neighbors property, do not confront them yourself. Do not yell at them to leave. Do not yell that you are calling the police (this ensures that they will not be there to arrest when the police arrive on scene!). Instead:
1) Call the Grandview Police immediately (882-2000)
2) Describe briefly what is occurring.
3) Remain calm and attempt to relay as much information as possible to the police dispatcher regarding the incident. Of real importance to us will be an accurate clothing description.
4) Stay on the line with the dispatcher and continue to update the location and movements of the subject(s).
5) Do not let the subject(s) see you calling the police.
6) If the subjects leave the area on foot or in a vehicle tell the police dispatcher this immediately.
a) If the suspects leave on foot give a current location and direction of travel.
b) If the suspects leave in a vehicle, give current location and direction of travel as well as information regarding the vehicle (see example #1 above)
7) Do not jeopardize your own safety by attempting to contact the subjects yourself.
If you are going to be away from your house for an extended period you may contact the police department and submit a request for a House Watch. You can also notify your neighbor/relative that you will be gone for awhile. Request that he/she call the police if unknown/uninvited subjects are seen on your property. Remember that a House Watch request is no guarantee of constant police surveillance. Patrol officers will attempt to provide patrol for requested areas, but may be extremely busy with other calls for service on any given shift.
If you intend to have a neighbor or relative watch your residence, you should plan on: leaving a return date, a contact number for you while away, and a local responsible person, with a house key, who can respond to the residence when you are unavailable. Include information such as which vehicles are to be left at the residence, which people and associated vehicles have permission to be at your residence, and maybe any specific lighting that will be left on.
Intrusion Alarm Information
While alarms can provide valuable security for a residence, a much more common occurrence for us is a false alarm. Be sure to:
1) Set keypads in locations where the alarm can be deactivated in the required time.
2) If friends/relatives are to stay at your residence while you are away, ensure they have proper instructions on how to deactivate any alarm.
3) Depending on the alarm trigger for your particular system, you may need to situate pets, hanging plants, balloons, curtains, or other potentially mobile objects where they will not falsely trigger the alarms motion sensors.
4) Make absolutely certain that your alarm company has CURRENT contact numbers, cell phone numbers, and message numbers they can use. Designate a local responsible party who can respond to your residence with keys.
Remember: If the police are responding to a false alarm at your residence, there is the potential for a delayed police response to a true emergency that arises elsewhere. Please use residential and business alarms responsibly.
Extra Patrol Requests
Extra Patrol Request forms have been developed as a mechanism to address specific citizen needs. The intent of the Extra Patrol Request form is to serve as notification of specific community-related problems to the Patrol Officers on each shift. The Extra Patrol Request forms are posted where they are accessible to all our personnel and provide valuable information regarding problem areas. Extra Patrol Request forms should be utilized if you have a specific problem which would benefit from additional patrol. Examples of this would be: a chronic graffiti problem in a certain area, a known or suspected drug house, an area of chronic street racing, etc. Extra Patrol Requests can be made by calling the Grandview Police Department and providing information regarding your specific issue. A police dispatcher can then generate the request on your behalf.
Thank you for caring enough to take the time to educate yourself regarding these important issues. We must all work together for a safer community.