Getting assistance in a life threatening emergency by dialing 9-1-1 is a no-brainer, and should still be called in life threatening emergencies, such as fire, medical emergencies, and crimes in progress. This is especially true for “land line” phones.

However, it is important to remember when calling 9-1-1 from a cell phone; calls go to the nearest California Highway Patrol dispatch center. Response time increases because of the time it takes to inquire about your specific location and transfer your call to the appropriate agency (something the aging land line system does automatically).

Lakewood Neighborhood Watch professionals recommend programming the regular business phone number of your local law enforcement agency into your cell phone so you can dial them directly in the event of an emergency.

The regular business phone number for the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station is 562-623-3500. Consider entering into your cell phone with a label using a "1" or an asterisk so it appears near the top of your list.