911 Overview
Most people know that in an emergency they should dial 911 if either Police or Fire Department assistance is needed. In Palatine, however, any time you need a Police/Fire Department response you should dial 911. When a Palatine resident dials 911 the call immediately goes to Northwest Central Dispatch, located in Arlington Heights. Professionally trained emergency dispatchers handle the call, and then make the proper Police / Fire Department dispatch. This occurs both over the radio and via computer assisted dispatch, which provides critical information to responding officers.
Some people are hesitant to dial 911 in non-emergency situations because they are concerned about tying up phone lines, thus delaying other serious calls from getting through. While this may be true for "prank" or unnecessary calls to 911, legitimate calls initiating a Police or Fire Department dispatch should be made by dialing 911. This is how the system is designed to operate.
Included Communities
Other communities currently operating under this system include:
- Arlington Heights
- Buffalo Grove
- Elk Grove
- Hoffman Estates
- Inverness
- Mount Prospect
- Prospect Heights
- Schaumburg
- Rolling Meadows
- Streamwood
Palatine’s Communications Center
The Palatine Police Department has a communications center located in the lobby of 595 N. Hicks Rd. This communications center is manned 24 hours a day and available for the following: informational calls, permission for vehicles to park on village streets overnight, calls providing additional information to an earlier report, or calls seeking to speak with an individual officer. A citizen needing any of these services can visit the communications center at their convenience or may contact them at 847-359-9000.