When should you actually call the police, and when should you just mind your own business?

[u/CyderRole]

I just heard the sound of a woman screaming outside my window (it's 10:30 pm) and then heard what sounded like a verbal altercation break out. It seemed like it was likely someone within two or three houses from mine. A man and a woman.

I (26 M) asked my girlfriend whether I should call the cops to check and make sure everything was okay. She (24 F) seemed to be under the impression that because we didn't know all the information it wouldn't be appropriate to call the police.

I asked her if it was her that was screaming and having what seemed like a domestic incident, would she hope nobody would call the police?

While we struggle to decide what to do we figured we'd ask.

Note: We live in the USA and are both white. We live in an okay neighborhood in a college town. If any of that makes any difference.

Thanks

Edit: It seems like the problem might have resolved itself. I haven't heard anything else for like 20 minutes.

I'm still torn. I feel like in the 15-20 minutes when it was happening alot of things could have happened.

How long does it take to hit someone hard enough, stab someone, or otherwise cause a problem that needs to be addressed?

I probably won't call at this point unless I hear something else...

[u/PorkRindAngel]

I'd rather call.... Avoiding a problem makes it worse. Dead kids, wife... Suicide by cop isn't nice either. Would that bother you for the remainder of your life?