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Polk County Law Enforcement Agency Numbers:
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Crookston Police:
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(218) 281-3111
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East Grand Forks Police:
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(218) 773-1104
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Erskine Police:
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(218) 687-3510
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Fertile Police:
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(218) 945-3232
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Fosston Police:
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(218) 435-6011
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McIntosh Police:
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(218) 563-2455
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Neighboring Law Enforcement Agency Numbers:
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Norman County Sheriff:
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(218) 784-7114
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Marshall County Sheriff:
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(218) 745-5411
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Mahnomen County Sheriff
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(218) 935-2255
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Clearwater County Sheriff
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(218) 694-6226
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Pennington County Sheriff
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(218) 681-6161
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Beltrami County Sheriff
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(218) 751-9111
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Thief River State Patrol
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(218) 681-0942
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Polk County 911 Center Mission Statement
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We at the Polk County 911 Communications Center are a cohesive team of highly motivated
professionals committed to being the best. Our mission is to provide the highest
level of service for the public in their time of need and to provide it at the most
superior level possible. We also recognized that our strength and success are tied
directly to the individual and unique contributions each of our employees bring
while working in spirit of cooperation and teamwork with our public safety associates
both within and outside the 911 Communications Center. Polk County's
eight 911 dispatchers dispatch and handle emergency and non-emergency telephone
calls for the police, fire and ambulance agencies that serve our county which include
5 ambulance services, 13 fire departments (first responders) and 8 police departments
(full & part-time). Along with answering calls for service they are also responsible
for monitoring the security for the juvenile detention center. In 2007
they dispatched over 18, 000 calls for service. Of those, 6,694 were 911 calls.
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9-1-1 AND WHAT IT SHOULD BE USED FOR
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- Do not program 9-1-1 into your auto-dial telephone. You won't forget the number
and programming the number invites accidental dialing of the number.
- Dial 9-1-1 only for an emergency. An emergency is any serious medical problem (chest
pain, seizure, bleeding), any type of fire (business, car, buildings), or any life-threatening
situation (fights, person with weapons, etc.). 9-1-1 can also be used to report
crimes in progress whether or not a life is threatened.
- Do not dial 9-1-1 for a non-emergency. Instead dial the agency's seven digit non-emergency
number 218-281-0431 for the Polk County Sheriff's Office. A non-emergency incident
is a property damage accident, theft from a motor vehicle when suspect is gone,
vandalism (when suspect is gone), panhandlers, intoxicated person who are not disorderly,
or cars blocking the street or alleys.
- When dialing 9-1-1, it takes up to 11 seconds before the phone will ring into the
Dispatch Center. Do not hang up and try dialing again. You are just tying up the
phone lines by doing that. Stay on the phone and wait for it to ring
- If you call 9-1-1 accidentally, do not hang up the telephone. Instead, stay on the
line and explain to the dispatcher that you dialed by mistake and that you do not
have an emergency. If you hang up the dispatcher will call back to confirm that
there is not an emergency. If you don't answer a deputy or police officer will be
dispatched to confirm that you are okay.
- Briefly describe the type of incident you are reporting. For example, "I'm reporting
an auto fire." Then stay on the line with the dispatcher---do not hang up until
the dispatcher tells you to. In some cases the dispatcher will keep you on the line
while the emergency units are responding to ask additional questions or to obtain
on-going information.
- Let the dispatcher ask you questions---they have been trained to ask questions that
will help prioritize the incident, locate it, and send an appropriate response.
Your answers should be brief and responsive. Remain calm and speak clearly. If you
are not in a position to give full answers to the dispatcher (the suspect is nearby),
stay on the telephone and the dispatcher will ask you questions that can be answered
"yes" or "no".
- Be prepared to describe your location and the location of the emergency. Although
an Enhanced 9-1-1 system will display your telephone number and location, the dispatcher
must confirm the displayed address or may ask you for a more specific location or
information about the victims or suspects.
- If you are a cellular caller, your location will not be displayed for the dispatcher's
reference. You must be able to de describe your location so emergency units can
respond. Be aware of your current city or town, address, highway and direction,
nearby cross streets or interchanges, or other geographic points of reference.
- Be prepared to describe the person involved in any incident. This includes their
race, sex, age, height and weight, color of hair, description of clothing, and presence
of a hat, glasses, or facial hair.
- Be prepared to describe any vehicles involved in the incident. This includes the
color, year, make, model, and type of vehicle (sedan, pickup, sport utility, van,
tanker truck, flatbed, etc.). If the vehicle is parked the dispatcher will need
to know the direction it is facing. If the vehicle is moving or has left, the dispatcher
will need to know the last direction.
- Be patient as the dispatcher asks you questions. While you are answering the dispatcher's
questions, he/she is entering or writing down the information. If you are reporting
an emergency, most likely a response is being made while you are still on the line
with the dispatcher.
- Listen to the dispatcher's instructions for assistance if you are in danger yourself.
The dispatcher may tell you to leave the building, secure yourself in a room, or
take other actions to protect yourself.
- Don't hang up until the dispatcher tells you to. Follow any instructions the dispatcher
gives you such as meeting the officers at the door or flagging down the firefighters
at the curb.
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Most Commonly Asked Questions
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What is the number to the jail?
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Polk County" jail is now listed in the phone book under its new name of the Justice
Center. The telephone number is 218-470-8144 (this is a local Crookston number).
All questions regarding prisoners, prisoner transfers and prisoner visitation should
be directed to that number.
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How are the roads from here to there?
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The dispatchers receive these types of calls constantly in the winter months especially
after a storm. There are two ways to get road condition information for anywhere
in Minnesota: 1) Dial 511 or 1-511. An automated message will give you the most
current road information for whatever region of the state you request. 2) If you
have a computer with internet service, type in the address of www.511mn.org. This
website also has additional links to get road conditions from other states.
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Do I have a warrant out for my arrest? or Who do I call about a traffic ticket
I received?
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For the answers to these questions you must call Polk County Court Administration
at 218-470-8001 between the hours of 8am - 4:30pm.
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Can I get a copy of my driving record for my employer or insurance agent?
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To obtain a copy of your driving record, follow the instructions on the following attached documents.
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Both documents require Accrobate Reader.
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