Safety & Who to Call

When you need help in the neighborhood, this page points you to the right place — an emergency, a non-emergency police matter, a city service, or the neighborhood watch.

In an emergency, call 911

For anything happening now that needs a police officer, medic, or firefighter in person, call 911.

Non-emergency police

For something that already happened, or a situation that isn’t an emergency, call the Orlando Police Department’s 24-hour non-emergency line, 321-235-5300. If you know who committed a crime, OPD asks that you call this line so a police officer can be dispatched; the online report form is only for incidents with no known suspect and no firearm.

Helping someone who needs services

If you’re concerned for a person experiencing homelessness in the neighborhood, the City of Orlando points first to services. Call 211 (or visit hfuw.org/211) to connect them with the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida (hsncfl.org/help). When there is a safety or mental-health crisis, OPD’s Community Response Team and Homeless Intervention Unit respond through 911 or the non-emergency line, 321-235-5300.

To ask outreach workers to check on someone you have seen, call the HOPE Team (Homeless Outreach Partnership Effort), run by the Health Care Center for the Homeless, at 407-757-2914. The City of Orlando describes it as outreach specialists, veterans, and licensed mental-health and medical providers who go where people experiencing homelessness are and connect them to services. Other local help:

Covenant House Florida serves young people ages 18 to 24 experiencing homelessness in Orlando: 407-482-0404.
Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida serves individuals and families experiencing homelessness: 407-652-5300.
For a mental-health crisis, emotional distress, or a concern about alcohol or drug use, call or text 988, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It is free, confidential, and open 24 hours a day.

Neighborhood watch

As the neighborhood watch gets going again, OPD’s Neighborhood Watch Unit (407-246-2369) helps residents start watch groups, arrange free home security assessments, and join the Citizen Observer program. Our OPD District 4 liaison is Officer Edward Rosado (edward.rosado@orlando.gov).

Our neighborhood watch observes and reports. Under the Orlando Police Department’s Neighborhood Watch policy, watch members report suspicious or criminal activity to the Orlando Police Department — 911 for an emergency, 321-235-5300 otherwise — and leave any action to police officers. Watch members never confront, accuse, or try to detain anyone, never carry a weapon during watch activities, and wait in a safe place for a police officer to arrive. To start a group with OPD, at least 40% of the community takes part, the group meets with OPD for training at least twice a year, and a block captain serves as the main contact with OPD.

Want to help? Sign up for the neighborhood watch. Signing up tells the LCNA board you want to help, and the board will follow up about how to take part — including as a block captain.

Code and nuisance concerns

For overgrown lots, trash, unpermitted construction, or cars parked in yards, contact City Code Enforcement: 407-246-2686, codeenforcement@orlando.gov, or the online report form. Under Florida law (Statute 162.21) you must give your name and address — the City can’t act on an anonymous complaint. Code Enforcement doesn’t handle crimes (call the police), animal concerns, or landlord–tenant disputes.

City commissioner

Lake Cherokee is in Orlando City Council District 4, represented by Commissioner Patty Sheehan — 407-246-2004, patty.sheehan@orlando.gov.