Listen To Stupid Calls Made To North Wales Police

Police are asking for help to reduce demand on the Police Call Centre with some real example nonsense calls being released.

A report of someone complaining about their neighbour’s washing machine, a complaint about waiting for a taxi, a child playing on the telephone and a complaint regarding wrongly prescribed medication are just some of the examples of the 999 calls North Wales Police have received over recent weeks.

You can listen to them by clicking below:

The information is being made public as North Wales Police launch their annual campaign to help reduce the amount of unnecessary and inappropriate calls made to the Joint Communications Centre in St Asaph and to further promote the 101 non-emergency line.

Traditionally Christmas and New Year are among the busiest times of year for the Emergency Services and officers are asking people to use the 999 system wisely to help ensure a genuine emergency is not missed over the festive period.

Last year the Force received 7,816 calls during the one week festive period (24th December 2013 – 1st January 2014) including emergency and non-emergency calls.

Superintendent Alex Goss is urging people to make sure that they use the 999-line appropriately, and only contact the non-emergency line if it is a police matter. He said: “We are now approaching one of our busiest times of the year. Each unnecessary call to us reduces time available for calls which are for genuine policing matters.

“Phoning 999 – which is an emergency line, for trivial matters such as being annoyed with your next door neighbour’s spinning washing machine is a complete waste of resources, and could possibly prevent a genuine life or death emergency call being put through.”

Other examples of inappropriate calls made to North Wales Police included a complaint about the incorrect medicine being given by a doctor and a complaint that a taxi company were discriminating them due to not having taxis available.

Supt Goss added: “We do have powers to prosecute people for misusing the 999 system and if people are found to consistently making hoax calls they could face prosecution.”

It can be hard to judge what is or is not an emergency, but in general, you should call 999 if:

• A life is in danger or someone is being physically threatened, or if you are witnessing a crime happening at the time, or think the offenders are still nearby.
• You witness or are involved in a serious road traffic collision where someone is badly injured, or other vehicles are causing an obstruction or a danger to other road users

Otherwise calls should be made to the non-emergency line, 101 (calls to 101 from landlines and mobiles cost 15p per call, no matter what time of day you call or how long you call lasts).

Details on various ways in which to contact North Wales Police are available via the website: www.north-wales.police.uk/contact