The Glendale Police Department has launched a social media campaign aimed at reducing the amount of non-emergency 911 phone calls the city receives.
In 2013, the Glendale Police Communications Center received over 150,000 911 calls. Many of these were about legitimate emergencies, but about half of them concerned less than pressing issues.
Officials hope the new campaign will drive more city residents to a department website outlining the proper reasons to call 911. Officer Tracey Breeden said due to tight staffing, any non-emergency call, including butt dials and wrong numbers, could delay the response to an actual emergency.
"It’s important to educate the public about that, because that’s a large number of calls and that takes precious time away from our dispatchers and it takes precious time away from serious calls where someone could be in danger or hurt," Breeden said. "And seconds can mean somebody’s life, and that’s why it’s very important."
Breeden added that a call making a false report to law enforcement is a serious crime that could result in a $2,500 fine or 6 months in jail.
