Wellington County OPP would once again like to remind the community of the problem of accidental 911 misdials.
Last year Wellington OPP officers were dispatched to over 2,500 smartphone accidental “pocket-dialed” or 911 misdial calls resulting in over 1,800 hours of unnecessary police time responding to and investigating these erroneous emergency calls.
Police respond to each 911 call, even if a caller advises it was a misdial to verify that a real emergency doesn’t actually exist. Typically a police response involves officers personally attending a business, residence or spending several hours trying to locate the source of an erroneous smartphone “pocket dial” to confirm the authenticity.
“This involves a significant amount of lost time that could be spent being more proactive in the community, with crime prevention, traffic safety and community policing initiatives,” Wellington OPP detachment commander Inspector Scott Lawson said. “Time spent on 911 misdials is time that could potentially be used to save someone’s life and moreover it activates other emergency response protocols potentially and unnecessarily putting first responders in harm’s way.”
Things to consider:
It is a criminal offence to knowingly make a false 911 call;
Responding to 911 misdials affects police resources and impacts public safety;
“Erroneous emergency calls place unnecessary strain on police resources and all first responders,” Lawson said. “We urge everyone in our community to please make a concerted effort to minimize or eliminate accidental 911 calls.”
