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Canberra Today 15°/20° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Cops bust man for making false emergency calls

AN O’Connor man has been charged after making 11 fake emergency triple zero calls to ACT police. 

The man, a 36-year-old, who did not need any help from police, admitted to making the calls when police went to the man’s home in O’Connor at about 3.30am on Sunday (March 22).

Police cautioned the man about making the calls, but then, a short time later, the man allegedly made further nuisance calls to triple zero.

He was then arrested, and charged with one count of improper use of emergency call service.

Superintendent of ACT Policing operations, Rohan Smith said the incident is a timely reminder to the public that these kind of calls have the potential to put lives at risk.

“It should be obvious enough that the triple zero (000) emergency line is for emergencies only, and people can face severe penalties for making nuisance calls to this line,” he said.

“Unnecessary and nuisance calls can place undue strain on the system and police call-takers, meaning that genuine emergencies may not be responded to in a timely fashion.”

He will face court next month.

ACT police would like to remind the public to call 000 in an emergency or life-threatening situation only, police assistance on 131 444 to report a crime, and Crime Stoppers on 1800 333000 to give information.

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Ian Meikle, editor

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