Police remind the public only to use 999 in an emergency
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Police are reminding the public only to use 999 in an emergency – after a nuisance caller repeatedly rang over the weekend abusing call handlers and complaining about the police force.
The man repeatedly called both 999 and 101 and advised call handlers that he was going to repeatedly ring back until he was arrested.
He also took to using live web chat to continue the abuse and requests to be arrested.
After multiple calls from the man, it was established that there was no emergency. Despite being warned against misusing the emergency line and being offered support, the man continued to call, being verbally abusive towards the call handlers trying to help him.
A total of 18 calls from the man were received over a 3 day period. In this instance, the investigation is ongoing and necessary action will be taken in due course.
We are using this as an opportunity to remind the public that inappropriate calls slow down our response to genuine emergencies by tying up an operator. This stops genuine callers getting help and places the lives of others at risk.
The 999 number is for emergencies only. This includes when a crime is in progress, someone suspected of a crime is nearby, when there is danger to life or when violence is being used or threatened.
Please also be advised that misusing the emergency line and hoax calling is a criminal offence. You could face a maximum penalty of up to six months in prison or a fine of £5,000.
Detective Superintendent Mike Branston explained that: “Answering calls is incredibly important to us. Unfortunately, a large amount of calls we receive are misplaced, which we then spend a great deal of time resolving as best we can.
“If there is an emergency, we want people to call us, confident in the knowledge that we will respond quickly. However, if the public are calling about issues which are not an emergency, I would urge them to refer to our website, which has a wealth of information to assist. There, they may be directed to a more appropriate service. Our web chat service can always also be used to seek advice or guidance.”