Police and RCMP

Complaints vs. Emergencies

When should we call 911?

• 911 is for police, fire, or medical emergencies when immediate action is required: someone's health, safety or property is in imminent jeopardy, or a crime is in progress.
• 911 should be called for: Any life-threatening emergency, any crime in progress, and for impaired drivers.

Local police stations have complaint lines that can be called if you require police assistance. This number should be used for crimes that have occurred in the past, noise complaints and minor incidents.

Accidentally calling 911:
Please stay on the line and advise the operator it was an accident. If a 911 hang-up is received, the RCMP will follow-up by finding out who the number is registered to, and calling and sending police officers to your location to ensure you are okay. This process takes up a lot of time, so if you accidentally call 911, stay on the line, or answer the phone when they call back. You will not get in trouble.

Don't program 911 into your speed dial. It only takes a second to dial it and when it's pre-programmed, it's easy to dial accidentally.