If You See Something in Sacramento Call 9-1-1

Burglar breaking into a house window with a crowbar

You think everybody knows that if you see something in Sacramento call 9-1-1, but they obviously do not. An agent from my Elk Grove Lyon office called yesterday to let me know she had received a phone call from a neighbor about a potential break-in at one of my listings near Elk Grove. The reason a neighbor would call my Elk Grove office is because I use my Elk Grove office panel sign on my listings since the office is closest to the home. If a person needs to urgently see a home I have listed in Elk Grove, that buyer typically will call the biggest phone number, which means they will reach my Elk Grove office, and an agent can immediately pop over to show the home.

The woman tells the Elk Grove agent that she watched suspected intruders case out the vacant home, stash their bikes in the back yard and figures they might be up to no good. Did the Elk Grove agent tell her if you see something in Sacramento call 9-1-1? Well, um, no, uh-oh, gosh, gee whiz. Did they get the neighbor’s phone number by chance? Thank goodness.  I called the witness. Yup, she saw something.

I explained that the police department does not want to receive third-party information from a real estate agent, and that the real estate agent has no vested interest in this situation because the agent is not the owner. However, the police are very interested in hearing from the individual who actually witnessed the attempted criminal act. I suggested she call 9-1-1 and let them know there could be intruders breaking into this home in Sacramento near Elk Grove.

Oh, no, she replied, I don’t want to get involved.

Hey, I thought the 1950s were over. Who are you? Gladys Kravitz?

Look, I began, I’m not gonna tell you what to do but the police won’t take a report from me. The seller has abandoned this house. If this were in my neighborhood, if I lived behind a home like this, and I witnessed something suspicious, I would without hesitation and, if for no other reason but to protect myself, my family and my neighbors; I would call 9-1-1. Those of us who sit on the fence become part of the problem. If you see something in Sacramento call 9-1-1.

The neighbor spit out thank you and abruptly hung up.

It’s not like you’re gonna get involved if you call 9-1-1. Where do people get this stuff? There is no secret list of informers that the police turn over to the crooks. The police don’t come to your house. It’s simply your civic duty to report crime. Next thing you know, they’ll be hopping the fence to case out your house, you, you . . . you WIMP.