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RVA in the Raw · Live 911

What does this mean?

Plain-English explanations of the labels in Richmond's public live 911 feed. These describe what a label usually indicates. They are not official findings — dispatch labels are working shorthand, the feed is delayed, and the real situation can turn out very different. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.

Status

The last column of each call. It tells you where the response stands, not what happened.

Enroute
A unit has been assigned and is on its way. Nobody has arrived yet.
Arrived
A unit has reached the block. It does not mean the situation is over or resolved.

How the call is being handled

The words after the comma in a call title usually describe the type of response, not the outcome.

Investigate
An officer is sent to find out what is going on. Many of these turn out to be minor or nothing at all.
Just occurred / In-progress
The caller said it was happening now or had just happened, so it's dispatched with more urgency.
Take a report
An officer is documenting something that already happened — usually there's no active danger.
Field unit required
The report needs an officer in person rather than being handled by phone or online.
DPR call – Take a report
DPR stands for Differential Police Response — Richmond Police's official way of handling some calls without necessarily sending an officer to the scene. A DPR staff member may take the report, answer the caller's questions, or point them to another service. It does not mean the call is unimportant.
Officer initiated
An officer started this themselves (for example, stopping by a business) — nobody called 911.
– EMS
Medical help was sent along with police because someone may be hurt.
Violent
The caller described physical violence or threats, so the call gets a higher priority.

Common call types

These are the caller's or dispatcher's first description. The official report may end up classified differently.

Trouble unknown
Someone needs help but the dispatcher couldn't tell what kind — for example, a dropped or unclear call.
Person down
Someone was seen lying down or unresponsive. Often medical, not a crime.
Random gunfire
Someone reported hearing shots. Fireworks and backfires are common causes; officers check the area.
Larceny
Theft of property without force or breaking in — shoplifting, a stolen package, a bike.
Break & enter
Someone entered or tried to enter a home, business, or vehicle without permission.
Destruction of property
Vandalism or damage to someone's property.
Domestic trouble
A disturbance between family members, partners, or people living together.
Disorderly
A noisy or disruptive person or group.
Trespassing
Someone is on property where they aren't allowed.
Wanted person
Officers are checking on someone who may have an outstanding warrant.
Missing person – at risk
A missing person who may be especially vulnerable, such as a child or someone with dementia.
Recovered vehicle
A previously stolen vehicle was found.
Crash, property damage
A traffic crash with no reported injuries.
Merchant check
An officer stops by a business as a routine visibility check.
Assist – other agency or caller
Police are helping another agency or a member of the public with something.
Assist fire department, traffic/crowd control
Police are blocking traffic or managing a crowd at a fire scene.
Referral from NGO or GO
A non-profit or government agency asked police to follow up on something.

Fire & EMS

Calls starting with # are usually fire department responses.

EMS – 1st resp call (fire resp only)
A fire engine is sent as first responder to a medical call, often because it can get there fastest.
Altered mental status
Someone is confused, disoriented, or not acting like themselves — a medical concern.
Utility incident, gas leak/odor
Someone smelled gas; firefighters check it out.

Sources & notes

Every label on this page appears in the City of Richmond's public Active Calls list. Where the City or the Commonwealth of Virginia publishes a definition or policy behind a label, it is linked below along with the terms it supports. The wording of each explanation above is ours, not the City's.

Official references

No published City definition

The City does not publish a definition for these labels, so the explanation above is our plain-English guide based on how the label appears in the feed: Officer initiated, Trouble unknown, Person down, Random gunfire, Disorderly, Wanted person, Missing person – at risk, Recovered vehicle, Crash, property damage, Merchant check, Assist – other agency or caller, Assist fire department, traffic/crowd control, Referral from NGO or GO, Altered mental status.

In an emergency, call 911.