BS. I've called the police to report a stolen phone (used the main local line, not 911), they arranged to meet me a few blocks from the location when an officer in the area had the time (it was just 45 minutes later), we talked for a few minutes, they went to the house, and the phone was back in my hands within 3 minutes. I showed them my bill with that phone number, I showed them the IMEI number and it also matched, and they let me go on my way.
Post-script: I didn't press charges. It was my daughter's "friend" (she just became a HS freshman) who took it. Lesson for her, and hopefully he was scared witless by the arrival of the police less than an hour after he turned it on... but the yelling really began when his mom came home to find two officers with her son on her front porch. With some luck, maybe his future life of crime ended that night. Judging from her reactions, he likely wasn't sitting down normally for a week.
(I've also used the Find My iPhone app to recover a phone an an iPad on 2 other occasions, but didn't feel a need for police assistance on either of those encounters.)
BS.BS to your BS. I've had two iPnones that I could track with find my iPhone. The cops wanted no part of helping get them back. Same for a phone that my SIL had stolen. No help from the cops.