If the type of request involves immediate threat to life or property, more specific questions are necessary. We want to know if there are any injuries as we need medical help to also respond. It could be as few as 2 or as many as 10. Your answer will have a bearing on the level of police response. For the safety of the responding officers and other citizens in the immediate area, this could be an important factor.
Situations can change in a matter of seconds.
Often, the offender will run away prior to the officer's arrival. A description, provided by you, is given to the officer via radio. Armed with this additional information, the officer gives more attention to individuals and vehicles while he or she is enroute to the location. This could possibly lead to the apprehension of the fleeing suspect. Citizens often assume this questioning delays police response.