When Right turns Wrong

I've been forced to phone the police twice now. It was the right thing to do. But, when they showed up, it was a false alarm both times. Now I feel like that little boy who cried wolf and when he needed help, they didn't come. I'm going to be thinking very hard before I phone the police again.

The first call went out very late in the night. Bear was in bed and I was sitting up reading. There were loud voices just outside in the street. We live across from a park and this happens a lot. I have always ignored them before. But, then a shot rang out. No back-fire, there were no car sounds. A loud bang. I know a bit about guns and this sounded like high power. But, just one shot. And the voices were angry and and still yelling. I phoned the police. But, before they arrived it got real quiet and everyone seemed to be gone. I told the police just what I knew, which wasn't much. They circled the block a few times and drove the length of the park. But, they never did any search, or even turned a spotlight over the park. So I didn't feel they had done a very good job of checking it out and it made me nervous. That was the end of it. No report of any shooting, nothing.

Then two nights ago, around 10:15 or 10:20pm I was sitting here waiting for Bear to get off work at 11pm. There was shouting again. A mans voice and a womans voice. There is a street light across from the house. But, I couldn't see anything. Suddenly the man was pounding on my front door and shouting for me to call the police. He sounded frantic and was yelling that his wife was threatening suicide. I did not open the door. I did not see him. I did phone the police. And they were here within minutes. Two cars. But, again, no sign of anyone in the street. And, again, they talked to me and I told them what I knew. Which wasn't much. The officer in the other car did talk to a neighbor who walked out on her porch, but I have no idea what she knew. And once again, they patrolled, but never looked in the park or used a searchlight to see if there was anyone over there. It was "all quiet." They told me to call again if I heard anything, and left.

Two days later, and it seems that once again I've "cried wolf." Nothing in the paper about any attempted suicide or even any trouble. So what am I suppose to do the next time I hear trouble in the street or over in the park? Give the police the idea that there is some crazy, scared old lady who phones over every little disturbance. (Let me say, I wasn't scared either time. But, I'm not stupid either, and I know better then to go out and check it out myself.) Do the right thing and call anyway, and let the police sort it out? Or mind my own business, like most people do nowadays? Now I understand a bit better why no one wants to get involved. It leaves you feeling very awkward when it turns out like this. Still, how would I feel if I ignored someone who turned out to really need help? After two calls, how long before the police quit taking me serious?