Have you ever actually called a non-emergency line?
It’s usually just a phone tree telling you what part of the city’s website to go to. If you’re lucky enough to talk to a real person, the moment you start telling OP’s story, they will tell you to hang up and call 911 if you think there’s an emergency.
The non-emergency line isn’t 911-lite - don’t call it because you don’t know if the situation is an emergency or not…