what is this country coming to

A Tayside Police officer has called for people to be charged money to dial 999 in an effort to cut the number of nuisance calls.

David Hamilton, secretary of the Tayside branch of the Scottish Police Federation, has suggested callers pay 50p to report emergencies.

Sgt Hamilton's suggestion was prompted by his experience in the police control room.

The officer posted his idea on Twitter.

His tweet asked: "Maybe time to make 999 a premium rate number?


Maybe time to make 999 a premium rate number? If a genuine emergency you'd spend 50p to report it.”

Sgt David Hamilton
"If a genuine emergency you'd spend 50p to report it. Phone boxes exempt."

Figures from Tayside Police showed that in 2009 the force received 4,742 hoax or nuisance calls

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-20898555

I can't say I disagree. You'd be surprised at what some people call 911 for.

it will stop people who are struggling to pay their phone bills reporting crime in my opinion, they will just close their curtains and pretend t didnt happen

I agree with you Ian it will be a bad idea as some people cannot afford to spare the smallest amount of money ,If people stopped using the service for hoax and stupid calls then people wouldnt have to pay for a free service and it would remain a free service .

the best odf it is, all calls are logged, so the easyway is to fine the households where the hoax numbers come from, simples
if they dont pay they get disconnected, why should everyone suffer for the few idiots that do it

Well said xx

They should charge those who make nuisance 911 calls for sure.

We had one jerk over here dial 911 to order a pizza for herself, another time we had another drunken fool dial 911 to call himself a cab,both were rounded up and spent the night in the klinker.

yes some bad ones about onei know about was some one phone 999 to report his takeaway was cold but some people would not be able to afford to call 999 so charge the ones that prank call a fine first time then a night behind bars if they do it again

I agree Crusher. Charge the ones that make nuisance calls but don't charge those that genuinely need the help.

spicee wrote:

I agree Crusher. Charge the ones that make nuisance calls but don't charge those that genuinely need the help.

Yes Agreed