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911 hang-ups a concern for St. Paul RCMP

Hundreds of human resource hours are being used to determine if accidental 911 callers are safe
Cell phone 911
St. Paul RCMP have noted a number of accidental 911 calls being made in the past three months.

ST. PAUL - St. Paul RCMP say they are concerned about the number of 911 hang-up calls that have been received over the past three months. A recent review shows there have been over 100 calls for service for 911 hang-ups or pocket dials over the past three months alone.

"Along with pocket dials, there are situations where callers hang up before operators are able to determine what their call is about," according to RCMP.

These calls do require a police response to investigate and ensure the safety of the caller.

"This equates to hundreds of human resource hours that could have been dedicated to more urgent calls for service. It can vary greatly as some cases have officers searching for hours to locate a caller who may or may not be in danger," according to RCMP.

Police are asking residents to do a few simple things to help ease the strain on these resources.

“You can help us keep our 911 lines open and our officers free to respond to real emergencies,” says Staff Sgt. Greg Stannard, Detachment Commander of the St. Paul RCMP. “By cutting down on false 911 calls, we can ensure our officers are where they are needed most.” 

RCMP offered some tips to prevent false 911 calls and assist officers in reducing the time required to investigate the false calls.

First of all, stay on the line if you accidentally dial 911. Do not hang up. Let the call taker know it was an accident.

"If you hang up, the call taker will need to call you back to determine why you called and confirm there is no emergency."

Don't program 911 into you telephone since speed dials can lead to accidental calls.

Keep cell phone locked or in a standby mode and in a safe location to prevent pocket dials.

Don’t let children play with the telephone or cell phone. 

"To assist investigators in helping you if you are in need of assistance, if you are using an application for cellular services, or a VOIP service, register your address and keep it updated," according to RCMP.

Examples of when a 911 call for police assistance should be made include:

  • Your life or the life of another person is in danger
  • You are witnessing a crime in progress
  • You are in a collision and are injured
  • You suspect a motorist is impaired

If your matter is less urgent, such as reporting a crime that has already occurred and there are no suspects or evidence, resident can call the St. Paul RCMP administration line at 780-645-8870. Other situations when a person can call the administration line include if there was a motor vehicle collision but no one is injured and there are no vehicles obstructing traffic. 

Reporting suspicious persons or activities can also be done through the administration line, rather than by calling 911.

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