NEW ALBANY POLICE DEPARTMENT - New Albany, Ohio

B. Since 911 hang-up calls are considered non-emergency calls, the officer responding shall
proceed to the location as safely and quickly as he or she can without breaking traffic
laws or utilizing the cruiser’s siren and lights.
C. When an officer(s) arrives at the location identified in the 911 call and no person appears
to be present, the officer(s) will conduct a “window check” of the structure to investigate
the situation and survey the property. If no response is received, the officer(s) should
proceed to contact nearby neighbors or next of kin for further information.
D. If the officers are satisfied that no emergency exists and no one is present at the location,
they shall leave an Alarm Notification/911 call form (PD-08-166) (See Addendum A) in a
conspicuous location informing the resident(s) that a 911 call was received and
identifying the location, the date, and time the officer(s) responded to investigate the 911
hang-up call.
E. If the officer(s) cannot verify to his/her satisfaction that no emergency exists and
determines forcible entry is necessary to fully investigate the situation, the officer(s) shall
contact a supervisor for authorization to enter the structure. Officers shall strive to gain
entry at a point that will minimize property damage.
F. If a hang-up call originates from a business or a school, the dispatcher and the
officer(s) are to follow the guidelines outlined in A and B above. In addition, officer(s)
shall proceed to the front or information desk, usually located in the lobby of the business
or school, and ascertain if they are aware of an emergency. If they are not, officer(s)
will attempt to locate the phone from which the call was placed and question individuals
in the area in an effort to determine if there is an emergency.
G. If a hang-up call originates from a payphone, the dispatcher and the officer(s) are to
follow the guidelines outlined in A and B above. In addition, officer(s) shall proceed to the
address and attempt to locate the payphone from which the call was placed using the last
four digits of the phone number. If no emergency is apparent, the officer(s) shall question
individuals in the area in an effort to determine if there is an emergency.
15.1.4 Recording Phone Conversations
A. All emergency phone lines and designated non-emergency phone lines used by the New
Albany Police Department are recorded. Recorded calls will be retained for a minimum
of one hundred eighty (180) days.
B. Officer(s) or dispatcher(s) who have cause to have calls reviewed or saved shall provide
written notification to their supervisor, stating the reason(s) they wish to have the call
held, reviewed, and/or copied and the approximate date and time of the call or incident in
question.
If the request is deemed appropriate (for example, for evidentiary purposes), the
supervisor will arrange to save or copy the call.
Calls may also be copied for the purpose of internal investigations, complaints,
and/or at the request of a supervisor or Chief of Police.
C. If the media submits a public records request for a copy of a 911 call, the request should
be referred to an on-duty supervisor. As a rule, media requests shall be honored except
for portions of the 911 call that contain confidential medical information (HIPAA) or is
exempt from public records law. If the media outlet requests the Department to provide
them with a copy, the party making the request will encumber all costs associated with
the copying process. At no time will an original recording or DVD disk be given to a
requestor.
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