Italian Phrase
Chiama il numero non urgente della polizia locale.
Meaning
The sentence tells someone to dial the non‑emergency telephone number of the local police force. It is used for situations that do not require immediate police intervention, such as reporting a minor disturbance, asking for information, or filing a complaint.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to contact the police for a matter that isn’t life‑threatening—e.g., a noisy neighbor, a lost pet, or a minor traffic incident. It’s also handy when you’re giving instructions to a tourist or a new resident about the proper way to reach local authorities.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Chiamailnumerononurgentedellapolizialocale.
Imperative (2nd pers. sing.)
Chiama is the imperative form of chiamare, used to give a direct command to ‘you’ (singular).
Definite article il
Il precedes masculine singular nouns like numero.
Negation with non
Non placed before an adjective (urgente) negates it, turning ‘urgent’ into ‘non‑urgent’.
Preposition + article della
Della = di + la, meaning ‘of the’; it links the police (polizia) to the adjective locale.
Adjective placement
In Italian, adjectives usually follow the noun, but non‑urgent (non urgente) is a fixed phrase that can precede the noun for emphasis.
🗨In Conversation
Chiama il numero non urgente della polizia locale.
Call the non‑emergency number of the local police.
Va bene, lo faccio subito.
Alright, I’ll do it right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Chiama il numero urgente della polizia locale.
The phrase is about a non‑urgent line; using urgente changes the meaning to an emergency call.
Chiamare il numero non urgente della polizia locale.
The infinitive ‘chiamare’ cannot be used as a command; you need the imperative ‘Chiama’.
Chiama il numero non urgente polizia locale.
If you drop the article, the phrase sounds incomplete; you need ‘della’ to link the number to the police.
↔Alternatives
Chiama la polizia locale al numero non urgente.
Call the local police at the non‑emergency number.
Contatta il numero di assistenza della polizia locale.
Contact the assistance number of the local police.
Chiama il numero di contatto della polizia del tuo quartiere.
Call the contact number of the police in your neighbourhood.
Cultural Tip
In Italy the universal emergency number is 112. Each municipality also publishes a specific non‑emergency line for the local police (often 113 or a city‑specific number). Using the non‑urgent line is considered polite and helps keep the emergency line free for life‑threatening situations. When you call, be ready to state your name, address, and a clear description of the issue.