Ask a trooper: Call police if you suspect illegal activity

Q: I work as a bank teller in Duluth. I constantly see people driving and then give me a state-issued ID instead of a drivers’ license, probably because they do not have one. I see children who are not belted in the back seats of cars. There is also a woman who comes in and appears to be on drugs every time she comes in. Should we be reporting these types of events to the police?

A: Some of it, yes, probably. If I were you, I would contact a local police officer and ask them what kind of things they would like to see you report, because they would be the ones who would get the call anyway. They know their own resources and availabilities for an appropriate response better than I would. Of course, anything you deem an emergency should be called in and it can be “armchair quarterbacked” later. Thanks for your concern.

Sgt. Curt S. Mowers is a regional public information officer for the Minnesota State Patrol.

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