911 operator to crime witness: There’s nothing police can do

DETROIT - A Detroit woman who witnessed a crime taking place and called 911 was taken aback by the response.

CBS Detroit says the woman saw a man stealing tires off of her neighbor's 2014 Ford Escape, and phoned 911 - but the operator allegedly refused to take the report - saying there was nothing police could do.

"As I'm on the phone for police, she's telling me, the 911 dispatcher, she's telling me, it's nothing that I can do. My neighbor...will have to call in and file a report because it's not my vehicle," the concerned neighbor said.

She says she caught the thief on surveillance tape.

She and the vehicle owner told CBS Detroit they know that stealing tires is not a high priority for police - they just wanted to alert authorities to the crime because it's not the first time that it's happened on the block.

WWJ Newsradio reached out to Detroit police for comment and was awaiting a response.