Many newcomers are quite familiar with the emergency number 911. 911 is the number to call any time you have an emergency requiring
- Police service
- Fire department
- Ambulance
* Please refer to When to Call 911 for more information.
But did you know, it is NOT right to call 911 for non-urgent situations?
911 is meant for people in immediate danger or crimes in progress. When you call 911 for non-emergency situations, you are wasting valuable resources that should be used to respond to true emergencies. So what is the correct thing to do?
When you need help from the police but there isn’t an emergency, you may call the Calgary Police Service’s non-emergency number at 403-266-1234.
Call 403-266-1234 for non-urgent police concerns including:
- minor accidents
- general noise complaints
- late reporting of crimes
Late reporting of crimes means you are reporting the crime after it has happened. By the time of reporting, the crime is no longer in progress. Examples include stolen or damaged property, violence against people, all forms of abuse, robberies and break and enters in residences, etc.
For crimes in progress, call 911.
Word of the Day:
Minor: not very important or serious
The information posted in this article is based on the official website of the City of Calgary on January 8, 2021: https://www.calgary.ca/csps/psc/non-emergency-calls.html
Please note that our website SettlementCalgary.com is an initiative of Immigrant Services Calgary – a non-for-profit agency helping immigrants. The information in this article is provided to help new immigrants navigate their new life in Calgary.
