The Bruce Peninsula Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) wants to remind all citizens to use 911 for emergency use only. In the month of April 2017 alone, Bruce Peninsula OPP responded to nine accidental 911 calls utilizing 414 minutes, or 6.9 hours of police patrol hours. This number is expected to climb exponentially as the weather improves and the Bruce Peninsula welcomes an influx of tourists to the area.

Pocket dials and children playing with phones were the two main contributors to these accidental 911 calls. What the police need the public to understand is that when 911 is called, police have to patrol, investigate the source of the call and confirm the caller is okay. Each time there is an accidental 911 call, it is consuming dispatcher time, hampering their ability to attend to real emergencies. It also ties up officer resources that could be better utilized to respond to actual emergencies and keeping our roads safe during busy traffic times.

Police are reminding parents to educate their children on the proper use of 911 and remind all users that a cell phone is not a toy. Even if you remove a SIM card from a cell phone, it still has the ability to call 911. Police are also encouraging all cell phone users to review your phone's functions and learn how to effectively lock your device to prevent accidental 911 pocket dials. By following these simple recommendations, Bruce Peninsula OPP officers will be able to focus on other duties more efficiently to help keep the community safe.

If you require police assistance in a non-emergent situation in OPP patrolled areas, callers are encouraged to contact the OPP non-emergency number at 1-888-310-1122.

source: media release, Bruce Peninsula OPP