When Should You Call 911?

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Sacramento police have launched a campaign to teach the public about when and when not to call 911.

The department gets a lot of phone calls regarding minors, and in many cases 911 calls are very necessary. But in some cases, a call to the department's emergency and non-emergency lines are better.

Anything that appears to be a life or death emergency, like a young child left alone in a vehicle, that's the time to call 911.

A 10-year-old walking down the street or a teenager peering through the window of a neighbor's home don't rise to that level and would be better served calling the department's emergency line at (916) 732-0100.

Parents who want to call 911 to scare their children—that's not a good idea.

There's a parental support hotline at 1-888-281-3000 and a nonemergency line at (916) 264-5471.