Cell Phones as Toys

[PVPD124]

Please tell me I'm not the only one to be irritated by this growing problem... Parents giving toddlers their cell phones to play with in order to quiet the child, and the child hitting the speed-dial for 911 on mommy or daddy's phone and calling the local police dept or 911 psap. I have one that does this and when I called them back they denied having a child and I could hear that child in the background noise. My officers suggested I try and find out who belongs to the number and do a little "Dispatch Detective Work" and get a location and then when they call send an officer over as is SOP at our department on all 911 hang-up calls. They told me that they can go over there and warn them to keep the phone out of the childs reach in the future.

Are you as fellow Dispatchers as tired of this as I am?

(Waits for the response with finger on the fire pager button in case of flames ;) )

[StationM]

Haven't had the cell phone issue come up yet...thank goodness.

We get it all the time from land-lines, and even when children aren't involved, people deny they called 911 all the time. :rolleyes:

We did have a successful prosecution of a 911 abuser though...he's been served a restraining order, and can only call in a true emergency.

[Lawson]

When I was younger my parents gave me one of those old cell phones to play with. (The old school brick of a cell phone lol). I think if you're smart about it, it is a non issue. For me, the phone was inoperable and could not be turned on to place a phone call. If the parent takes the battery from the phone, again a non-issue.

But then again.. we all know how many "Parents of the Year" there are out there.

[MrJim911]

We definitely get those calls, but it sounds like we don't get as many as you. lol

[mcsap]

I have gotten them and sometimes they can only narrow down to which TOWER the cell is hitting. So we are to go and check a several square mile area for someone making a cell call ???

And , old cell phones that are no longer in service will work to call 911. Unfortunately , you cant call them back and the phone still shows the name of the last registered user. ANd when we locate them, they say they gave the phone away or threw it out :(

[apso1871]

Has anyone ever had a 911 hang up call come back to an address that dosent exsist? Our 911 center gets the addresses via computer and it seems to happen alot when we have bad weather.

[gringoscott]

Nothing to add to the conversation, except...










Ouch. Way to dig this one up. :D

[locokarma]

Every now and then, but it's rare here where I work.
The biggest one we get is the accidental call, where you answer and all you can hear is either a conversation or the radio blaring in the background. Or both at the same time, and the person is not aware they bumped the button.

[Group9]

Well, I did give my kid one of my old cell phones, but he's only six and I didn't give him a charger for it. :D