Skizzo
Full Member
Most (all?) departments have a non-emergency number to call for stuck cars, or if you are in a non-injury traffic accident. In the day of cell phones it is pretty easy to find it online. Personally, I would just call a tow service and not the police, but not everyone has the money/insurance for that.
We’ll respond out for all traffic crashes, and if someone is broken down on the freeway. Sacramento PD, for example, don’t respond out for non-injury crashes and people are left to file reports online or exchange information with the other party and be on their way.
The calls we get for people broken down on the freeway are sometimes from passerby’s who call it in because it’s not a safe spot, or the involved who wants us to come sit with them until their tow truck/family member arrives to help. We also get the calls when someone breaks down and has no funds, no friends, no family and we help them out since there isn’t always someone coming to assist them. Gave a guy a 30 minute ride home last night for that very reason. You have people who think it might not be the best use of resources, but it’s also not ideal to have someone sitting on the side of the road in the car all night to get smoked by a drunk or sleepy driver.