22% increase in non-emergency and accidental 911 calls

To The Haldimand Press

HALDIMAND—Haldimand OPP is reminding all residents to understand when to call 911 following recent data collection that indicated a 22% increase in 2018 versus 2017 for non-emergency or accidental 911 calls.

In 2018, Haldimand County OPP received a total of 994 calls to 911 that were either accidental dials, pocket cell phone dials, or non-emergency calls for service. There were 774 calls received in 2017.

“The Haldimand County OPP is committed to providing safe communities and an effective service to the citizens of Haldimand County and members of the community can play a key role. Police resources dispatched to inadvertent and cell pocket dials create a significant public and officer safety issue with essential emergency services responding to non-emergency situations. The majority of these instances are preventable,” said Haldimand County OPP Detachment Commander, Phil Carter. “Furthermore, accidental 911 calls can put a significant strain on valuable resources that can be used elsewhere, where there is a real emergency.”

911 is for police, fire, or medical emergencies only; this would include when someone’s life or safety is in immediate danger, or when a crime is in progress. For non-emergency calls, citizens are asked to call the 24-hour OPP toll-free number at 1-888-310-1122. Citizens can also opt to report specific incidents online at opp.ca/reporting.

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