'Stay on line': Surrey RCMP issue warning after surge in abandoned 911 calls

More than two-thirds of 911 calls to Surrey RCMP last year were abandoned, the detachment said Thursday, while issuing a plea for people to stay on the line if they dial the emergency number by accident.

Surrey RCMP received 103,627 911 calls in 2023, according to a news release. Of those, 72,343 were abandoned. That works out to nearly 70 per cent.

It's also an increase of 26 per cent compared to the previous year, police said.

Each of those calls diverts attention and resources from genuine emergencies, Cpl. Sarbjit K. Sangha told CTV News.

"Dropped calls where nobody actually picks up the phone – that's where we actually have to ping the phone and find the location and send over officers – those are the ones that tie up our resources," she said via Zoom.

"Our message to anybody that does call 911 by mistake – even if it's a pocket dial (or) your kid had your phone and called 911 – make sure you stay on line. Talk to the dispatcher. Let them know that there's no emergency."

At the same time, the detachment is reminding people what does and does not constitute an emergency worthy of calling 911.

The emergency line is specifically for situations in which the immediate attendance of first responders – such as police, firefighters or paramedics – is necessary. That includes when someone's life is in danger or there is an immediate threat to a person or property, as well as crimes in progress or crimes that have just occurred and the suspect may still be nearby.

"The following are not the reason to call 911," police said in their release, before sharing this list:

• You are looking for the non-emergency number
• You need help moving
• You don't know the bus schedule and or you missed the bus
• Your roommate sat on your bed
• Your roommate burned dinner
• Your fast food order was not what you ordered
• You dropped your AirPods in the bushes and you need the police to retrieve them
• A loud truck drove by your house and woke you up
• Kids playing sports in a cul-de-sac
• Did not want to wait on the non-emergency line

Other, less ridiculous situations still don't necessarily require a call to 911, according to police, who said crimes that have already been committed and where no suspects are present, suspicious activity or circumstances and "less-serious nuisance behaviour" are all things that should be reported via the non-emergency line.

Some crimes, including theft and vandalism under $5,000 and driving complaints that are not ongoing, can be reported online, police added.