Hamilton police are reminding residents that 911 is for emergencies only after dispatchers received thousands of unnecessary calls including a complaint about cold fast-food.
Police say they fielded 195,000 calls in 2018 and nearly one third of them were not for an emergency.“Non-emergency calls take up valuable resources and potentially delay responding to those individuals in a genuine emergency,” said Hamilton police in a news release. “A 911 emergency is when someone needs help right away because of an injury or an immediate danger.”
A hacked Facebook account and a bothersome noise made it into the Hamilton police’s top ten ill-considered calls. Here is the full list:
- Checking to see what time it is
- Reporting a hacked Facebook account
- Assault by a humping dog
- Reporting a sick cat
- Asking if the Beer Store is open
- A noise coming from a lightbulb
- A cat in front of the house
- When Canada Day fireworks are taking place
- A discrepancy in retail pricing
- Cold McDonald’s food
Police say they also dealt with a high volume of pocket dials. “Approximately 4500 calls are abandoned before they are answered, which means an operator must call back and verify there is no emergency,” said police. “If you have called 911 accidentally, it’s important to stay on the line to speak to an operator to explain the error. Every 911 call is taken seriously, so explaining the mistake will eliminate the need for the emergency operator to call back.”
They say the volume of hang-up calls was so high, a full-time staff member had to be assigned to respond to all abandoned calls.
For non-urgent cases, such as reporting a noise complaint, callers should use the non-emergency line at 905-546-4925 or visit the website.
