Public Safety

Dial 911

Dial 911...whether it is a police, fire, or medical emergency. Your 911 call is routed directly to the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department who will send help.

Ramsey County's deputies have emergency medical training. If they are first on the scene, they will administer emergency medical treatment to stabilize the patient until a life-support unit arrives.

Today, on the advice of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department, you should call 911 any time you have a concern needing the attention of law enforcement.

How Calls Are Handled

The way calls are handled at the dispatch center today, emergency and non-emergency calls all end up in the same place. This eliminates the issue of wondering whether an issue is truly an “emergency.” Second, for effective law enforcement, our deputies need to be aware of troublesome activity as soon as possible to give them the best chance to make a difference. Many times, issues are discussed on social media with no initial contact with law enforcement. By the time the Sheriff’s Department becomes aware of a concern, the activity or suspicious person is no longer present. 

It should be understood that, depending on current call loads, the dispatcher will help determine if a deputy should be re-routed from an existing call. In some cases, an immediate response may not be necessary or possible. However, if they aren’t called, we are likely missing an opportunity to make a difference.

So, if you see possible illegal or suspicious activity, please don’t hesitate. Call 911 and help make our community a safer place to live.