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Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if I dial 9-1-1 by mistake?

Do not hang up.  Even if you hang up prior to us answering the phone, your call will still go through and register as an abandoned call.  Just stay on the phone and let the 911 dispatcher know that you do not have an emergency and that you dialed by accident.  The dispatcher will ask you to verify your name, phone number, and address to make sure that the information in our system is correct but as long as there is no emergency we will not send an officer to your location.  If you hang up prior to us answering we will dispatch an officer to your location in addition to calling you back to verify if there is an actual emergency.

Being able to tell the dispatcher your location and your phone number will get help faster.  Make sure your children have their address memorized in the event they need to call 9-1-1.  If you are not at home and do not know the address from where you are calling, look around for buildings, street signs, or other landmarks that will help the dispatcher and responding officers find you.  Your location is the most important piece of information you can provide as the 9-1-1 caller.

Why does it take so long for an Officer to arrive when I call?

The Communications Staff works on a priority system, using answers to their questions to prioritize calls from higher priorities to lower priorities.  For example, a fight in progress or a motor vehicle accident with injuries would be assigned a higher priority than a barking dog or a theft, not in progress.  Higher priority calls are dispatched before lower priority calls.

If I am talking to the Police Dispatcher, is an officer responding to my location?

Police Dispatchers are trained to ask questions.  It is the dispatchers responsibility to gather enough information to determine how each phone call is best handled.  The dispatcher asks more questions during an incident that is in progress than a delayed call.  When a dispatcher is talking to a citizen about a crime in progress, the dispatcher gathers preliminary information, enters it into a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) computer, and forwards it to be dispatched.  The call is then assigned to officers who respond to the location of occurrence.  The dispatcher remains on the phone with the caller gathering information while forwarding it via the CAD system. A separate dispatcher relays all updated information to the responding officers while they are driving to the location.

What happens when I dial 9-1-1 from Tempe?  Am I talking to my local Police Department?

Yes, your call is routed to the Tempe Police Department.  We will determine if you need police, fire or medical assistance.   If you need police assistance we will handle your call.  If you need fire or medical assistance we will connect you to the Phoenix Fire Alarm Room.  Phoenix Fire dispatches the Tempe Fire units.  It is important to let us know at the beginning of the conversation what type of assistance you need.

If you are calling from a cell phone your call is routed based on your current location. If you are near the border of two cities your call will be answered by one of those cities. The answering dispatcher will verify what city your event is occurring in and make sure you are speaking to the correct agency.

Why does the 911 Operator sometimes ask me to call back on a non-emergency number?

Many people use 911 to call in any type of complaint or question they might have.  We do not want the 911 lines tied up with non-emergency calls so we are able to leave them open for life or death emergencies.  If you have a non-emergency, please call 480-966-6211.

Does the Tempe Police Dept unlock car doors when the keys are locked inside?

The Police Department has a group of volunteers who work occasionally as Motorist Assist units.  They are able to:  open car doors, help change tires, jump vehicle batteries, give small amounts of gas, and fill tires with air.  Police officers do not normally respond to do any of these requests.   We do not attempt to open car doors on vehicles that have power windows and/or power locks.

We will respond to any type of vehicle that has the keys and a child or animal locked inside at any time.

Who do I contact for an Order of Protection and how does it work?

The Tempe City Court has a web site with information on Orders of Protection as well as Harassment Injunctions.

Where is the Tempe City Court located?

The court is located at 140 E 5th St.  Click here for directions.

Who should I contact for a traffic ticket?

If your ticket was issued from the Tempe City Court, you will need to proceed through the court system.  Click here for details on the Tempe City Court Civil (Traffic) Division.

What are the curfew laws in Tempe?

Tempe City Code, Sec. 22-8. Curfew for juveniles; responsibility of parents or guardians:

1. It is unlawful for any minor under the age of sixteen years to be in, about, or upon any place in the city away from the property where the youth resides between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. of the following day.

2. It is unlawful for any minor sixteen years of age or older and under the age of eighteen years, to be in, about, or upon any place in the city away from the property where the child resides between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.

3. It is unlawful for a parent or guardian of a minor to knowingly permit, or by insufficient control, allow a minor to violate section (b)(1) or section (b)(2) as listed above.

4. It is unlawful for a parent, guardian or other person having the care, custody or supervision of the minor to fail or refuse to take custody of the minor after such demand is made upon him by a law enforcement officer who arrests the minor for violation of section (b)(1) or (b)(2) as listed above.

Click here for an expanded version of the City Code

What are the laws governing go-peds, motorized play-vehicle, or motorized skateboards?

   Click here for City Codes 19-22 through 19-27

Where can I find information on parking violations?

   Click here for City Codes 19-81 through 19-100

How do I register my bicycle?

You can go to the National Bike Registry website to register your bicycle in a national database.