Minneapolis: Call 311 instead of 911 to report property damage, theft

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis residents are now instructed to call 311 instead of 911 report theft or property damage if it is not currently in progress as the city works to find alternatives to police responses. 

In a release, the City of Minneapolis said non-police city employees at 311 will start taking reports of non-violent, non-emergency theft and property damage not in progress, instead of 911 dispatching police officers. The change goes into effect on June 14. 

If the theft or property damage is occurring at the time of the call, residents should still call 911, the city says. 

Residents can report theft or property damage not in progress in two ways:

• Submit an online report, which you can do here
• Call 311

Minneapolis 311 takes calls from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday – Friday, but residents need to call between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. to make a theft or property damage report. If they need to make a report outside of those hours or on holidays, they can either submit a report online, call back during those hours or leave a voicemail for a callback within three business days. 

"This is a service change aligned with the City’s work around seeking alternatives to police response," the city said in a statement. "The goal is to reduce administrative capacity for police and improve service experiences." 

The city says it will assess the results of the program throughout the year.