June 30, 2021 – Mounties in Grand Forks and the West Boundary are encouraging the public to “make the right” call when it comes to non-emergencies.

Phoning 911 to report things like suspicious vehicles or noise complaints unnecessarily ties up dispatch operators who need to focus on urgent calls, Grand Forks RCMP’s Sgt. Darryl Peppler told the Gazette.

Peppler qualified that Mounties aren’t hoping for fewer calls. “We want to educate people in the hope that they’ll understand when to use 911 and when to use other resources,” he explained.

“If you see a crime in progress or you need to report a serious injury, then please, by all means call 911,” he said. He then pointed to a certain “grey area” where callers think they should phone 911 when they should contact the detachment’s 24-hour non-emergency line at 250-442-8288.

Use that number to report suspicious activity or neighbourhood disputes within reason, he said.

The need for greater awareness is particularly acute as the summer heats up for first responders across the province, literally and figuratively. Black Press reports | READ MORE