Marion County Non-Emergency Number: 317-327-3811

The Marion County non-emergency number is 317-327-3811. The line is staffed around the clock and rings into the same Law Enforcement Communications Center that dispatches for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Use it when you need police attention but nobody is in immediate danger. If someone is hurt, a crime is happening in front of you, or there’s an active threat, call 911.

When to Use 317-327-3811 Instead of 911

The working rule is simple: no danger right now, call the non-emergency line; danger right now, call 911. You’re reaching the same dispatchers either way, just entering the queue at a different priority.

Calls that belong on 317-327-3811 include:

  • A property crime that’s already over — your car was broken into overnight, packages were taken from your porch, someone tagged your fence.
  • Noise complaints, like a loud party, barking dogs, or after-hours construction.
  • Requests for an officer to write a report you need for insurance.
  • Non-threatening disturbances: illegal parking, a neighbor dispute that isn’t escalating, suspicious activity that doesn’t feel immediately dangerous.

When you’re genuinely unsure, choose 911. Dispatchers can downgrade a call, but they can’t recover the minutes lost routing a real emergency through the wrong queue.

Direct Numbers for Independent Police Departments

Several municipalities inside Marion County run their own police departments, and 317-327-3811 may not be the fastest route if you live in one of them. Direct lines:

If you don’t know which agency covers your address, calling 317-327-3811 still works as a starting point. The dispatcher will refer you if the incident falls outside IMPD or Sheriff’s Office territory.4indy.gov. IMPD Community Online Reporting

Skip the Phone Call with Online Reporting

For lower-level incidents where the suspect is unknown and nobody was hurt, both IMPD and the Sheriff’s Office let you file a report through a web portal. It’s faster than waiting on hold or for an officer to arrive, and you get a case number you can hand to your insurer.

IMPD’s system accepts reports of theft (not burglary, robbery, or motor vehicle theft), vandalism under $2,500, shoplifting, lost property, and failure to pay for services. You can’t use it if you know the suspect’s name, if the incident is a hate crime, or if it happened on a state freeway or outside IMPD’s jurisdiction. In any of those cases, call 317-327-3811.4indy.gov. IMPD Community Online Reporting

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office runs a separate portal covering its jurisdiction. Eligible reports include criminal mischief with damage under $1,000, theft of property valued under $750, lost property under $1,000, harassment through calls or messages, identity theft, and violations of child custody orders. If your loss or damage exceeds those dollar thresholds, the system will reject the report and you’ll need to call.5Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Online Reporting

After you submit, the portal issues a temporary case number right away. A records technician reviews the entry within a few business days and emails a permanent case number, which is the one your insurance company will want.

What to Have Ready Before You Call or Submit

Having a few details in front of you makes any report go faster:

  • The exact address where the incident happened. That address decides which agency handles it.
  • A timeline: when you last saw things intact and when you discovered the problem.
  • Descriptions of any property involved — make, model, color, and serial numbers where they exist. The Sheriff’s system specifically asks about serial numbers, so check electronics and tools before you start.5Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Online Reporting
  • Your full legal name, phone number, and an email address that can receive the permanent case number.
  • Any suspect information you have: height, hair color, clothing, vehicle. If you know the suspect’s name, the online portals won’t accept your report and you’ll need to call 317-327-3811.4indy.gov. IMPD Community Online Reporting

Potholes, Trash, and Streetlights Go Somewhere Else

A lot of situations that feel like they need a call to police actually belong with a different city service. Indianapolis routes those through RequestIndy (also called Indy 311): potholes, trash pickup problems, damaged or stolen 96-gallon carts, dead animals on public property, high weeds on private property, and streetlight outages all go through that system.6indy.gov. Request Indy You can submit online or call the Mayor’s Action Center at 317-327-4622 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Stray animal calls that aren’t an immediate threat also go here rather than to the police non-emergency line.

Filing a False Report Is a Crime

Whatever line you use, the report has to be truthful. Under Indiana Code, knowingly giving false information to a law enforcement officer or making a false report of a crime is false informing, a Class B misdemeanor. If the false report substantially hinders law enforcement — including by causing officers to be dispatched — the offense becomes a Class A misdemeanor.7Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-44.1-2-3 – False Reporting; False Informing The online systems also require you to confirm the submission is accurate, and a false sworn statement can rise to perjury, a Level 6 felony.8Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-44.1-2-1 – Perjury Inflating a theft report to help an insurance claim doesn’t help the claim, and it does create a criminal record.