We had an insane neighbor in a past neighborhood who was this ranting, violent, profane, drunken asshole when we complained directly to him about his incessantly barking dogs. So we called the cops to prevent the situation that would have happened next, which would have involved him and my husband harming or possibly killing one another. Turns out, he was Mr. Twisted in many ways. An unspeakable domestic abuser. Someone who was not treating those animals well (no wonder they were barking incessantly--they were pleading for someone else's attention). Someone with a fairly long history of dealing with law enforcment, apparently. We went to court with him four times before he finally (after his wife came to her senses and moved out one day when he was at work) moved someplace else.

I'm much more apt to call cops if I need assistance of some kind than to report someone else. But if you prove to me you're a dangerous, violent jerk and I'm afraid of you--or if I think someone's health or life is in danger--then I wouldn't hesitate for a second. I think the whole anti-snitch movement is unconscionable if there's a question of a felony crime that's occurring.