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Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
May 01, 2018 - 6:00 PM
VERNON - Abandoned 911 calls were the second most common type of call made to the Vernon RCMP detachment last year.
There were 1,950 abandoned 911 calls in 2017, according to a list of the top 20 calls for service put together by the North Okanagan detachment.
Number one on the list is traffic-related calls for service at 2,731 calls.
RCMP spokesperson Const. Kelly Brett says abandoned 911 calls range from legitimate calls for help, to simple pocket dials.
“Say (the caller) needs help, but they can’t speak on the phone so the line drops,” Brett says. “Our policy is we must reach someone registered to that line.”
Many calls are also made in error. With the shift from flip phones to open faced gadgets with emergency call functions, Brett says it’s inevitable accidental 911 calls will happen.
“Sometimes it’s super frustrating,” Brett says.
Officers spend a lot of time following up and ensuring the safety of the caller, even when it turns out to be a pocket dial. It's not uncommon for calls to "bounce" meaning there is no number that comes up. When that happens, officers have to track down GPS coordinates to try and locate the person.
After abandoned 911 calls and traffic complaints — including reports of erratic drivers or car crashes — the next most common types of calls are theft at 1,943, property-related at 1,396, alarm-based at 1,244, and disturbances at 1,237.
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