Requesting Police Assistance

Contacts

  • To call the Police Department in an emergency, call 911
  • To request 24-Hour Police service in a non-emergency, call 562-594-7232
  • For Police Department administrative and business matters, call 562-431-2255

Police Department Business Hours

The Los Alamitos Police Department lobby is open for administrative business Monday through Thursday from 7:30 am until 5:30 pm.

After hours, an officer can be summoned to the Police Department lobby by calling 562-594-7232.

Reporting an Emergency

When you call the police, be prepared to give the dispatcher the exact location and nature of the emergency. Tell the dispatcher whether you need police, fire or paramedic service. The 911 number can be used to summon emergency assistance from any of these agencies.

After providing the nature and location of the problem, be prepared to provide the following information to the dispatcher. The dispatcher will ask specific questions based on the information you provide. Please answer the questions and listen closely for the follow-up questions as the dispatcher is trained to elicit not only the most accurate information but in an order most useful for responding police, fire, and paramedics.

Common Information to Report

You will need to provide a description of the situation and when it occurred. You will need to report if anyone is injured. If the incident involves a suspect, you should try to provide a description including:

  • Gender
  • Race
  • Age
  • Height
  • Weight
  • Hair Color
  • Eyeglasses
  • Clothing, hat

When giving a vehicle description, provide the:

  • Color
  • Type of vehicle
  • Make
  • Model
  • License Plate Number
  • Direction of Travel

Weapon

  • Type of Weapon (Gun or knife)
  • Color
  • Size

Medical Aid

If the emergency call is for medical aid, be prepared to brief paramedics as they arrive by providing such information as the patient's age, gender, and nature of the complaint or injury, including pertinent health history if known. If safety permits, open the entry doors and turn on adequate lighting. If there are double doors, open both to facilitate moving in equipment and evacuating the patient. If someone else is in need of paramedic service, tell them assistance has been called. Make the patient as comfortable as possible, and if you are able, loosen tight clothing such as belts and neckties.

If there are sufficient people at the scene, direct a volunteer, or draft someone to go outside and direct responding emergency personnel to the location. Remember, the responders will probably be familiar with the area and know which hundred block they are responding to, but if someone is there to wave them down, it can save precious seconds.

Dispatch Services

Dispatch services for the Los Alamitos Police Department are provided by West Cities Communications (West-Comm).