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Bogus 911 calls draining resources

Penticton RCMP are recieving up to three or four calls a day.
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A rash of disconnected 911 calls are becoming a thorn in the side of the local RCMP. Western News file photo

A rash of disconnected 911 calls are becoming a thorn in the side of the local RCMP.

Cpl. Ted Manchulenko estimated Penticton RCMP are recieving up to three or four calls a day.

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“They’re time consuming, resource consuming and for the most part they really don’t amount to anything other than a lot of a waste of time. It’s either pocket dial or someone messing around with their phone,” Manchulenko said. “It’s really tough for us to nail down a cell phone location or a cell phone owner, or for that matter payphone 911s. We respond to a 911 in the same fashion, real or fake.”

A number of the calls have been coming in from the payphone near the Community Centre.