The non-emergency number for the Marshall Police Department is 903-935-4575. Use it for crimes that are already over, reports you need for insurance, noise complaints, suspicious activity that is not an active threat, and other routine police business. If anyone is in danger, a crime is in progress, or the situation is getting worse by the minute, call 911 instead.1City of Marshall, TX. Police Department
The department is located at 2101 East End Blvd North, Marshall, TX 75670. The main line connects to the administrative unit and routes most routine calls from there.1City of Marshall, TX. Police Department
Other Direct Lines at Marshall PD
If you already know which unit you need, calling direct is faster than going through the main line:
- Criminal Investigation Division: 903-935-4540
- Records and Information Services: 903-935-4538
- Animal Control: 903-935-4530
- Marshall-Harrison County Crimestoppers (anonymous tips): 903-935-9969
Animal Control is staffed during business hours. Outside those hours, the police non-emergency line can route a concern about a stray or roaming animal that is not aggressive.2City of Marshall, TX. Staff Directory – Marshall Pet Adoption Center
When to Call 903-935-4575 Instead of 911
A simple test: if nobody is in danger right now and the situation is not actively worsening, use the non-emergency line. It exists so that patrol officers responding to active calls are not pulled away for matters that can wait an hour or a day.
Common reasons people call the non-emergency number:
- Past-tense property crimes, such as discovering overnight that your car was broken into or items are missing from the garage. The crime is over, and the call starts the report your insurer will ask for.
- Minor vandalism found after the fact: graffiti, a slashed tire, a damaged mailbox.
- Noise complaints, including loud music or parties outside local quiet hours. The city also takes complaints through an online code enforcement form.3City of Marshall, TX. Submit a Code Enforcement Concern
- Found property you want to turn in. Making the call creates a record, and if you want to claim ownership of unclaimed items later, say so when you hand them over.
- Suspicious but non-threatening activity, like an unfamiliar car parked on your street for several days or someone going door to door at odd hours.
- Identity theft, where a police report is often the first step toward disputing fraudulent charges.
If you cannot tell whether something qualifies as an emergency, call 911. Dispatchers can downgrade a call, and you will not be in trouble for a good-faith judgment that the situation felt urgent.
What to Have Ready Before You Dial
A couple of minutes of preparation makes the call faster and the resulting report more useful.
Start with the location. A street address is best; if you are reporting something that happened in a parking lot or open area, cross streets or nearby business names help dispatchers assign the right patrol zone. Then be ready with what happened, roughly when, and who or what was involved.
For people, the useful details are height, build, clothing, and distinguishing features such as facial hair or tattoos. For vehicles, prioritize make, model, color, and license plate. A partial plate still helps. Jotting these down before you call keeps the conversation moving and prevents details from slipping as the dispatcher asks follow-up questions.
What Happens After the Call
The dispatcher logs the report and assigns it a priority based on severity and what officers are already handling. Non-emergency calls sit below active crime and safety calls, so follow-up from an officer can take anywhere from a few hours to several days depending on the shift. That delay is normal when no one is in immediate danger.
You will be given a case number. Hold onto it. You will need it for insurance claims, follow-up calls to the detective division, and anything that goes to court. If you lose it, the Records unit at 903-935-4538 can look it up.4City of Marshall, TX. Staff Directory – Police Department
Getting a Copy of Your Police Report
Request a copy of your incident report through the Records and Information Services unit at 903-935-4538.4City of Marshall, TX. Staff Directory – Police Department Police reports in Texas are generally accessible under the Texas Public Information Act. The baseline charge for standard paper copies is $0.10 per page, with labor fees of $15 per hour possible if a request takes significant staff time.5State of Texas. 1 Texas Admin Code 70.3 – Charges for Providing Copies of Public Information A short report usually comes out to just a few dollars. Processing times vary, so request your copy as soon as you know you need it rather than waiting on a claims deadline.
One Caution About False Reports
Using the non-emergency line for legitimate but non-urgent concerns is exactly what it is there for. Knowingly calling in a bogus emergency is a different matter: under Texas law, it is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $4,000, or both, and the charge rises to a state jail felony when the false report targets a school or a public service like water, gas, or power.6State of Texas. Texas Penal Code Section 42.06 – False Alarm or Report7State of Texas. Texas Penal Code Section 12.21 – Class A Misdemeanor That rule covers deliberate false alarms, not honest mistakes about whether something was truly urgent.