Pocket dialed? Stay on the line tell us you’re fine

We can all make mistakes. Pocket dialing can be one of them but if it happens to you and you have accidently called 999 please stay on the line to tell us you’re fine.

In 2022 Wiltshire Police received over 15,000 silent or abandoned 999 calls. Some of these may have been a genuine cry for help and others will have been made by accident but unless you tell us we cannot know which is which. As many smart phones allow for emergency 999 call access even when the screen is locked it can be easy to pocket dial in error.

If you have called 999 by accident, please don’t hang up. Stay on the line and let us know you are fine. We won’t be cross as ultimately you will be saving busy operators the time needed to check back on an abandoned call. Time that could be spent dealing with genuine emergencies.

Afraid or unable to talk?

Should you have called 999 but are afraid or unable to speak openly and are in an emergency situation, make yourself heard and let the 999 operator know your call is genuine. 

It is always best to speak with the operator if you can – even if it is in a whisper. You may be asked to cough or tap keys on your phone to answer questions. If you are using a mobile phone and stay silent the call will be transferred to the police Silent Solution system.

This system is used to filter out any accidental or hoax calls and you will be asked to press 55 to be put through to your local police force. You will need to listen carefully to the call handler

The Silent Solution is only used for calls from mobile phones as it is less likely that a 999 call will be made from a landline. You can find out what to do in an emergency where you cannot speak to the operator by following this link:

https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/contact/how-to-make-a-silent-999-call/

#MakeYourselfHeard

#SilentSolution