Safety concern? Trash complaint? Who are Columbus residents gonna call?

Have a safety complaint that isn't an emergency? Is the trash piling up near your curb and you don't know who to call about it?

There are three main lines to be aware of that are designed to meet residents' needs. They are 311, for municipal issues; 911, for emergency public safety matters; and 614-645-4545, for notifying the police of non-emergency situations.

Here's who you should call with the city of Columbus to get help for some of the most common problems or issues.

Using 311 for municipal complaints and information

Call the city's 311 number, 614-645-3111 for non-emergencies and for issues that don't involve police. This includes bulk trash pickup, finding out what day trash and recycling collection occurs and other safety concerns, such as abandoned vehicles. 

The city's 311 website also allows for requests to be made online, including scheduling bulk pickup for items that are not collected with the weekly trash collection, such as furniture or appliances.

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The 311 center is staffed Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and is closed on weekends. Calls will be directed through the 311 center to the appropriate city department for addressing the issue directly or further investigation, if needed.

Other complaints that can be directed to 311 include a street light not working, street and curb repair requests, concerns about broken playground equipment at city parks and requests for inspections at various businesses. 

When to call 911

For serious emergencies, call 911 to speak with police and fire dispatchers. This would include a shooting, stabbing, an active threat or other violent matter requiring immediate police action. This would also be the number to call if someone is suffering a medical emergency or if there is a fire.

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You should not call 911 for noise complaints, concerns about speeding in residential areas or ongoing civil disputes with no threat of violence. 

If you call 911 by mistake, an officer may respond to your location to verify that everything is alright. 

When you call 911, be prepared to answer basic questions about your location, what is happening and any special information about the situation, such as a person's condition if there is a medical emergency. Those taking the calls will be passing this information on to the dispatchers, who are coordinating with the officers who are responding. Answering these questions will help give officers, paramedics and firefighters the most information possible before they arrive on the scene to provide assistance.

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Non-emergency calls

Calls that might require a police response but are not emergencies, like noise complaints or non-violent incidents, can be directed to Columbus police's non-emergency line at 614-645-4545. Call takers collect information and dispatch an officer to respond as officer availability allows, with emergency calls always taking priority. 

Some police issues, including petty theft or vandalism, where a report is needed but there is not an emergency, can be handled online.

Columbus police have an online report filing system for incidents in which an officer does not need to respond to the scene. Officers will review the report, follow-up if additional information is needed, and forward on to detectives if it is deemed necessary. 

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner