I don't like calling the police for anything ... I'm Indigenous and I've had lots of good and bad run-ins with the police. Due to the fact I am a big older Native guy, my race, skin colour, hair length and my real name being obviously Indigenous, I get profiled pretty quickly. If I get stopped in traffic while I am alone, I normally get a long 15 minute or half hour background check and get held for longer for some reason. If my white Caucasian wife is with me in the car ... I usually get a quick chat, 30 seconds to check my license and insurance and thanks and a good bye.
So on a few occassions where I did call 911 and the OPP about an unsafe car I saw, a transport going to fast ... or last winter, reporting a transport with a blown tire that threw debris all over the place and a whole tire down the road and left a 50' trailer with a completely exposed axle ... I called and I was literally interogated on the phone. Who are you, your full name, address, location, phone number, what were you doing, where were you going, who's in the car with you, were you driving, what are you driving, who else was around, etc .... At one point, I had to stop the operator and tell her that I didn't want to answer any information and that I just wanted to report something. She tried to convince me that it was all relevant information but I refused. I reported what I had to report and that was it.
Never assume the police have your best interest. They are trained with an adversarial mindset where everyone they see is a potential criminal or helping a criminal. There is no innocently talking to the police. If there is an investigation and they are talking to you, you are automatically in their crosshairs and you are a suspect.
I never deal with the police unless I really, really have to and if I do, I will always treat them with respect and patience because when it all comes down to it ... they have all the power in a conversation. If they disagree with what I have to say or think, I have no choice ... and if I really want to disagree or argue anything further, I will be threatened and even arrested for it.
So my very first instinct when dealing with the police is to not go anywhere near them or talk to them unless I really have to.