Thousands of pocket-dialed calls are tying up emergency phone lines and threatening public safety, prompting a police crack down on the growing number of unintentional 911 calls.
Police launched a campaign Monday encouraging cellphone users to "lock it before they pocket" to combat the growing number of accidental calls.
Toronto police received 107,000 pocket dials last year, which occur when a button on a cellphone programmed to call 911 is inadvertently hit while the device is stored in a pant pocket or purse.
Police also received 116,000 mis-dialed calls, which are non-emergency calls made to 911.
The high volume of unintentional calls is causing a drain on law enforcement resources, police said.
For every 911 call made operators must find out if an emergency exists meaning precious seconds are wasted on accidental calls, Staff Supt. Jeff McGuire told reporters at a press conference Monday.
"Every time that happens someone with a real genuine emergency is being delayed," McGuire said. "This is a serious problem."
In a call released by Toronto police, one man mistakenly dials 911 and his phone proceeds to play a song by hip-hop stars Drake and Rihanna.
"My bad," the cellphone owner said when the operator called him back. "I call you guys like everyday, man. It's an accident."
To prevent this, police suggested that cellphone users turn off the 911 auto-dial feature on their phone and use the keypad lock before putting the device in their bag or purse. If an accidental call is still made to emergency services, however, McGuire said callers should not hang up.
"It's absolutely imperative that you stay on the line and make your apologies," he said.
Other Ontario police departments also reported receiving a high number of unintentional 911 calls last year. York Regional Police received 97,886 unintentional calls from cellphones, which accounted for 37 per cent of all 911 calls.
Peel Regional Police received 80,724 unintentional calls between June and December of 2011.
