There continues to be an increase in 911 hang-up and non-emergency calls made to Barrie police.
In 2025, police received 36,539 calls for service to 911. Of those, 17,325 were accidental.
"911 is a critical, life-saving service designed to respond to situations where lives, safety, or property are in immediate danger. When the line is tied up with non-urgent calls or accidental dialing, it can delay response to real emergencies where every second matters," police said in a news release.
Examples of situations where 911 should be called include:
- A crime in progress
- Someone’s life or safety is in immediate danger
- A serious medical emergency
- A fire or suspected fire
- A serious collision, especially if there are injuries or road hazards
- A person with a weapon or immediate threat to the public
For non-emergency police matters, residents are encouraged to use the Barrie Police Service non-emergency line at 705-725-7025 or the online reporting tool.
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Examples of situations that do not require 911 include:
- Reporting a crime that already happened and is no longer in progress
- Noise complaints
- Parking complaints
- Property damage with no suspect present
- General questions or requests for information
- Non-urgent neighbour disputes
There is also a high number of accidental 911 calls, often caused by cell phones in pockets or purses, allowing children to pay with phones or by pressing the emergency call feature on a device.
Police say you should not hang up if you accidentally call 911.
"Stay on the line and tell the call-taker the call was a mistake. Hanging up requires dispatchers to call back or, in some cases, send officers to confirm everyone is safe, which uses valuable resources," according to the police news release.
If you cannot stay on the line, a communications operator will initially call back and if unsuccessful in reaching the caller, a text will follow to confirm that no emergency exists.
