In the event of an emergency, contact Oakland Police Department Emergency Dispatch directly from your cell phone, at (510) 777-3211.

For Non-Emergency, call (510) 777-3333.

What about 911?

If you dial 911 from your cell phone, your call will be routed through CHP. Because of this, OPD recommends calling their dispatch directly.

Be descriptive and specific as possible with your call. 

• Who was involved?

• What did they look like? What were they wearing?

• What time did the event happen?

• Any vehicles involved? (Describe the vehicle and license plate if possible).

It's important to work with police on repeated issues concerning public safety. When the operator asks if the police can make contact with you, you can always ask that they may contact you anonymously by phone if you're concerned for your safety. Tip: Always ask the operator for an incident number. The incident number ensures that the event is recorded in a database and it generates a report of frequent activity for OPD to reference.

Follow up by contacting the Community Resource Officer Sheldon Sumpter at ssumpter@oaklandca.gov. You can use this email template if needed.

Tip: Safety first. Never confront the offender, even if it's a repeated occurrence.