Sharp increase in misdialled 911 calls early in 2023, Ottawa police say

Published Jul 17, 2023 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 1 minute read

Ottawa Police Service Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA

The Ottawa police lost valuable time dealing with a steep increase in the number of “hang-up, pocket and misdialled calls” to 911 early in 2023.

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Through the first quarter of the year, there were 50,000 such calls, a jump of 21,000 over the same period in 2022.

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Every “dropped” call requires a followup by the communications centre to find out if there was an emergency or not, the Ottawa Police Service said in a news release.

“Every 911 call has to be accounted for and unintentional calls, hang-ups and misdials can take valuable time away from actual emergency calls and life-threatening situations,” said Insp. Russell Lucas, with the Information Directorate of the Ottawa Police Service, in the release. “If you dial 911 by mistake, please stay on the line and answer the operator’s questions who needs to confirm that there is no need for emergency services and that you are safe.”

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Police made the following suggestions that can help individuals avoid dialling 911 by mistake: Turn off the 911 auto-dial feature; check the user manual or the manufacturer’s website, or call the service provider to determine whether your device has this feature and how to turn it off; and refrain from programming a wireless device to automatically or “speed dial” 911.

Part of the increase in dropped calls can be attributed to people activating the SOS function on their android phones, police said. They added that public safety agencies are working with the CRTC and manufacturers to reduce the number of misdialled 911 calls.