If/when you see or hear a prowler in your yard,  or at your door, or on your deck:

1.     Make sure your doors are locked, then call 911.  The person answering the call will say to you, “police, fire, or medical?” You reply “Police”.

2.    The call-taker will ask your address, phone number, and a description of the problem. “There’s a prowler on my deck” is a good prowler description.  They will then ask you to stay on the line with them. They will come back on the line periodically to give instructions or ask questions.  Eventually they will ask your name, but they don’t need that to dispatch help. They also will ask you for a prowler description, and a description of any car seen. 

3.     When you can, turn on ALL your outside lights, and call your neighbors and ask them to turn theirs on as well.

4.    If you have a weapon in your house, ONLY use it to defend yourself INSIDE YOUR HOME.  Do NOT go outside with it.

5.    If your prowler has not tried to break down your door or is not inside your house, the police will NOT arrive with red light and siren. They will come in quietly, and try to surprise the prowler. For this reason you will get questions like, “how many houses in from the intersection is your house?” or “which side of the street is your house on”.  The correct answer is not, “You idiot, I gave you the address”.  You should go out now, look around the neighborhood, determine the answer to these questions, put them on a  little placard and put it by your phone.  You may also be asked, “Which direction did he go?” or, “where did you last see him?”  Do NOT open a door, or go out of your house, to find this out.  If you can see it from inside, fine.

6.    Your ONLY contact should be with the dispatch person on the phone.  She will ask you questions and relay the answers to the officers.  For this reason, do NOT go out and attempt to make contact with a sheriff yourself.  If they want you, they will either come to your door (in a group) or call you on the phone.

7.    Remember, especially when it is dark, what you have just summoned by your call is four to eight well trained,  heavily armed,  very nervous men, who are looking for another person or persons that they have to believe is armed and dangerous.  They may also have a police dog with them, and the dog will attack you if you surprise it. 

If you notice a helicopter and/or a lot of police near a neighbor’s home:

1.     Stay Inside.  Do not walk up the street to see what is going on.  Do not get in your car and drive out to see what is going on. You will only get in the way, and you may either get shot or get arrested.  You cannot help, and will only hinder the effort of the professionals.

2.    Some of our neighbors are armed, and some even have concealed weapons permits.  Nevertheless, NEVER go outside armed with a weapon when the police are  looking for a criminal.  You are not as well trained as they are, and you will likely get arrested or shot.  I cannot think of a better way to be killed. Only use your weapon to defend yourself if someone enters your home.

3.    Activate your telephone tree. Let  everyone on your list know that there is a police activity going on.  Your instructions to your telephone tree should be, “Stay Inside, turn on all your outside lights, and only call 911 if you see someone who is NOT a policeman in your yard.”

 

Dr. Robert D. Parker
Galena Forest
Reno, Nevada