Abandoned Cars

Abandoned cars can be disruptive to the overall quality of a neighborhood. The Fresno Police Department realizes the importance of removing abandoned vehicles promptly, and within the specifications of law.

Vehicles are considered abandoned when left on the street for 72 hours or longer. Sometimes the signs of abandonment are obvious and can include a heavy layer of dust, spider webs around the wheels, expired registration, flat tires, and even missing major engine components.

To report an abandoned vehicle, please call (559) 621-2085. Please be prepared to provide the following information.

• Make and Model of vehicle
• Color of the vehicle
• License plate information
• Street address where the vehicle is and the major cross street

Barking Dogs

Because excessive noise can be harmful to the health and welfare of citizens, the City of Fresno prohibits excessive and annoying noise within City limits. The City’s Noise Ordinance (Fresno Municipal Code, Section 9-2701(a)) defines noise and regulates it by type, land-use zone, and time of day. Events or actions may be prohibited if they cause a noise disturbance.

Fresno City Municipal Code, Section 9-2701. Keeping of Dogs

(a) No person shall keep or maintain, or cause or permit to be kept or maintained, upon any premises, any dog which by habitual and continual barking, howling, or whining shall disturb the peace and comfort of any neighborhood or interfere with the reasonable and comfortable enjoyment of life or property by any person.

(b) No person shall keep or maintain, or cause or permit to be kept or maintained, any dog owned by him or in his possession or under his control which habitually commits a nuisance upon the property of any other person.

(c) No person shall keep or maintain, or cause to be kept or maintained, any unconfined dog which habitually attacks, or barks at passing pedestrians, vehicles, or other users of the public sidewalks, streets and highways.

(d) No person shall keep or maintain, or cause to be kept or maintained, any vicious dog in the City of Fresno unless safely secured.

Noise Disturbance Examples

Animal Noise

Animal noise includes but is not limited to: continuously barking dogs, and excessively noisy birds or small animals. For more information, review Animal Noise Frequently Asked Questions.

Animal Noise Frequently Asked Questions:

• What is the law related to animal noise?
• What are some animal control regulations?
• Why do dogs bark so much?

What is the law related to animal noise?

Neighborhood disturbance caused by barking dogs and other animal noise can be a serious problem in Fresno. Fresno Municipal Code Section 9-2701(a) provides that:

“No person shall keep or maintain, or cause or permit to be kept or maintained, upon any premises, any dog which by habitual and continual barking, howling, or whining shall disturb the peace and comfort of any neighborhood or interfere with the reasonable and comfortable enjoyment of life property by any person.”

Why do dogs bark so much?

Dogs bark excessively for numerous reasons such as loneliness, frustration, frequent neighborhood activity, hyperactivity, etc. The following suggestions may be helpful in controlling excessive barking:

• Give the dog attention and exercise daily.
• If the dog barks because of frequent neighborhood activity, try to remove the dog from the activity. Consider keeping the dog in the house or garage whenever possible or keeping a dog in a location isolated from the source of disturbances.
• Dogs frequently bark while left outside alone on the property. If you must leave the dog unattended, keep the dog inside the garage or house whenever possible.
• Consult your veterinarian on the possible causes for the barking.
• Explore training services listed in the Yellow Pages under “Dog Training”.

How do I deal with a barking dog?

We encourage neighbors to work with each other to determine the cause of the barking, and find a solution to the problem.

Free mediation services are offered by the Better Business Bureau.

BBB Mediation Services can be reached at (559) 256-6300 or toll free (800) 675-8118 ex 300. BBB Mediation Services web site 

Drug Dealing

Extremely Important!!! DO NOT attempt to stop, apprehend, or interfere with possible drug dealers. Record descriptions of those persons involved: Race, age, facial hair, hair color/length, height/weight, tattoos, names or nicknames if known, and clothing. Record vehicles: License plates, color and make of vehicles, distinguishing markings, bumper stickers, rims, etc. Record time and location of activity and report to the following numbers:

Fresno Narcotics Hotline (559) 621-5900

Crime Stoppers (559) 498-STOP (7867)

Loud Parties

Loud parties and noise obviously can be distressing in neighborhoods. Sometimes people are unaware they are disturbing others. In situations such as this, a phone call to the neighbor to politely ask them to turn down the noise is often all it takes to solve the problem. The advantage to this is that it offers an immediate solution and often people want to be good neighbors and are grateful that their neighbors are willing to speak with them directly about the problem. Another advantage is that it saves them the possible embarrassment of police officers showing up at their door to talk with them about the loud party or noise.

However, there are times when direct contact is not practical. If there is any threat of danger in a direct contact with the offending party, citizens should not initiate contact, but instead call the police department. Generally loud parties and other noise complaints are not life-threatening emergencies and as such, do not qualify for calling 911. Instead use the non-emergency line of (559) 621-7000. A police dispatcher will answer the call and will generally ask several questions to determine the location of the party or loud noise, the number of people in attendance and if any other crimes are in progress, such as fighting or possible underage drinking. If you do not wish to have the officers contact you, please let the dispatcher know this.

Report Graffiti

You can report graffiti by phone or online.  To report graffiti by phone, please call 311.  If you are witnessing the act in progress, then call 9-1-1.

To report graffiti online, take a photograph, complete the following online form and submit the request using the button below.

Solicitations

Solicitations (door to door) are generally not a police problem. The vast majority of solicitors represent legitimate organizations. A well known example would be the Girl Scouts who  sell cookies annually. However, people should remain alert to the possibility of potential criminals scouting the neighborhood for the chance to steal something, break into homes or commit some other crime. You should never open the door until you clearly establish the solicitor’s identity and reason for being there. Ask to see I.D. by having the solicitor display it in front of the door’s window or peephole. Ask for a telephone number for their organization and call to confirm the legitimacy of the solicitation. If they refuse to give you a number and insist you open the door, call the police department immediately. Give the dispatcher a detailed description of the solicitor and vehicle they may have. Do not take things for granted, but instead verify they are who they say they are. If the solicitor is legitimate, they will cooperate with your efforts.

If you did not wish to be disturbed by solicitors, put a small sign on your front door saying “No Solicitors.” While this will not always work, most will honor your request. Tastefully designed signs can be found at local hardware and office supply stores.

Suspicious Persons/Cars

Here are some tips for dealing with suspicious persons:

1. Keep your distance. Contacting a suspicious person may jeopardize your safety.
2. Be a good witness. Take note of hair color, facial hair, height and weight. Remember, clothing can easily be changed – often criminals will wear multiple layers of clothing so they can escape easily.
3. Get vehicle descriptions and license plates if you can. Do not jeopardize your safety to do so.
4. If it appears the subject is about to commit a crime, make it known to them that they are being watched. Do not approach the subject.
5. If someone comes to your door that you are not expecting or do not know, do not open the door. Make contact through the door. Have them provide you with their I.D. and tell them that they will have to make an appointment to see you. Do not avoid answering the door. Often times criminals will knock on a door to see if someone is home before they break into a residence. Most thieves do not want to encounter a person while they are committing their crimes. These people will usually ask for someone and then say they have the wrong address when you answer.
6. Know your neighbors. Have their phone numbers available. If you see someone suspicious, call your neighbors so they are aware of the subject.
7. If you believe that the person is involved in criminal activity, call the police. Be prepared to give your address and the location where the suspect is standing. If you do not know the address, describe the location and where it is in relation to your address. For example “It’s the blue house two houses south from my house.”
8. If you are not at home when you see a suspicious person, keep your distance. This is especially true if you are on foot or alone at a location.
9.  Call the police (559) 621-7000 or 911 and describe what you saw. Do this from a safe location.
10. If it appears the subject is committing a crime, make noise to get other people’s attention. Honk your horn or yell. This will usually cause the person to run away.

Unsafe Driving

To report unlawful street racing/side-show activities please call the number below:

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Traffic safety issues are taken very seriously by the Fresno Police Department. Traffic safety is a core element of the Police Department’s Mission. The Department requests people contact them immediately when they see driving occurring that is jeopardizing public safety. Under these circumstances, calling 911 is entirely appropriate. Officers will respond in an effort to locate the violator and take appropriate action.

There are also neighborhoods where a more generalized pattern of traffic problems are occurring. For example, you may live near a high school and experience a large number of cars speeding through the neighborhood when school lets out. Or you may live near an intersection that is controlled by stop signs, but is dangerous because a number of drivers  ignore the stop signs and run them. Under these circumstances, please contact the Police Department Traffic Bureau at (559) 621-5050 to inform them of the problem. Please include as much specific information as you can. For example, include the time(s) of day or night this is occurring, the day of days of the week there is a problem, and the specific locations where you see the problem occurring. Traffic Bureau officers will be assigned as resources allow to deal with the problem.

Working together we can improve traffic safety and make the streets safer for everyone.