Do you even bother to call in shots fired to the police anymore?

[Anonymous]

Are we supposed to? Two shots just went off given up calling since it doesn't amount to anything...

[Anonymous]

I pretty much only call them if I need a report for insurance. But it's been like that for at least the last 15-20 years. They rarely care enough to do anything.

[Anonymous]

Too common to bother.

[Anonymous]

I always call them in if I can tell for sure it's gunshots and not just something that could be fireworks but also could be fireworks in an alley (which is super common in our neighborhood).

I've only had to do this twice in 20 years of living in DC. One shooting right in front of my house which was quite scary, and then another in our alley though at the far end (but heard them clear as day and it was very clearly gunshots).

And this is even though I live in a neighborhood in NE where there's a decent amount of violence. But there just aren't that many actual shootings right on my block. A more common thing is for a shooting to happen several blocks away near some of the commercial areas nearby, and then sometimes someone flees into our alleys to escape the cops. We have witnessed a few foot chases and I'm pretty sure in those situations that the suspect was armed or (and this is actually almost scarier to me) had ditched a weapon somewhere while in flight.

I don't know why I went into all that. I guess just to say that even though I know there are quite a few shootings in my general area, it's pretty rare that I actually hear gunshots. But when I do, I call 911 and will continue to do so.

[Anonymous]

In DC? Isn't there the shots-locator technology still? My friend and his bike tire blowing up was the victim of that system a while back.

To answer your question, when I live in Baltimore, if I heard a shooting but couldn't see it, I wouldn't call in. Gun shots can be literally anywhere and I have no specific information to contribute.

[Anonymous]

Why call them in? Unless there’s a body laying in the street police aren’t coming.

What’s the point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why call them in? Unless there’s a body laying in the street police aren’t coming.

What’s the point?

Oh, do they still come if there’s a body?

[Anonymous]

I do. I don't know that they always come but I worry there is a victim in need of help and it's not much effort to call.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too common to bother.

True

[Anonymous]

Snitches get stitches. Best just to stay out of it. Their beef is with each other. Don’t make it about you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why call them in? Unless there’s a body laying in the street police aren’t coming.

What’s the point?

Oh, do they still come if there’s a body?

Why would they? The body isn't going to go anywhere. They will get to it eventually.