too many windsor, lasalle 911 calls are non-emergency, police say
jkotsis@postmedia.com
1 minute read
not all 911 calls coming from mobile phones are an emergency.
tina comeau
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windsor and lasalle police services are hoping to increase public awareness of the ‘critical’ need to reserve the 911 line for emergency use only.
“the 911 line is for life-threatening or urgent emergencies, yet we continue to see calls made for reasons ranging from minor inconveniences to non-emergency situations that can be handled through other channels,” said laura smith, director of windsor police emergency 911 centre.
“calls for lost items, noise complaints, or even pocket dials take time away from real emergencies,” smith said in a statement. “it’s critical that we ensure 9-1-1 lines remain open for those in urgent need for police, fire or ambulance.”
of more than 120,000 calls handled by 911 operators, smith said more than 17,000 were non-emergency-related calls.
across ontario, police services report that nearly half of all 911 calls are for non-emergencies, including accidental dials, hang-ups and frivolous inquiries.
“our service is committed to ensuring our residents have access to the right information and resources,” said jill lawrence, superintendent of patrol response.
“by participating in this campaign, we are helping to provide education on when to call 911 and when to use non-emergency numbers, so that emergency services remain available for those who truly need them.”
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as part of the province-wide, when every second counts campaign, residents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the windsor police non-emergency number — 519-258-6111.
lasalle’s non-emergency police number is 519-969-5210. the non-emergency number for lasalle fire service is 519-966-0744.
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