# Why can't we use 911 for police? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 18, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153 "2012-03-18T19:18:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153/41 "2012-03-20T21:08:34Z")
> [@Catfood\_Purrito](#): > > Really? How many small towns have you lived in that led you to make such a broad and kind of condescending assertion? 4 in 4 states. Or 6, if you include extended stays of several weeks to months but not quite long enough to change my driver’s license. Not an overwhelming sample, to be sure, but enough to form opinions. And enough to move back to Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153/42 "2012-03-20T22:55:55Z")
I wonder what happens if a call ends up at the wrong PSAP. Are cell phone callers told to wait until their phone affiliates with a tower in the same jurisdiction as their emergency? ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153/43 "2012-03-21T01:51:00Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > They have their hands full with medical and fire emergencies. Trying to dispatch police as well just overloads the system. Nasty as it is, somebody smacking someone else around is not likely to be an emergency. Now if somebody had been shot, different story. Well, as the person in question might successfully KILL his wife in this situation, I would disagree rather strenuously. I’m stunned at the OP being told to call a different number, actually - 911 SHOULD be able to route you appropriately. They can around here, certainly. I thought that was the point! Now, for a true non-emergency (and a wife-battering in progress IS an emergency), then yeah - hang up and look up the number. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153/44 "2012-03-21T02:05:08Z")
Next time the neighbour is beating the shit out of his wife, call 911 and ask for an ambulance and a fire truck. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153/45 "2012-03-21T02:30:09Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > You may not have lived in too many places. In most of the world dialling 911 won’t get you the police, or anyone else, for that matter. > > The “worldwide” emergency telephone number is 112, and while it works with all modern cell phone networks, it’s been adopted for landline systems by only maybe half the world’s countries. However, even when calling this number from my cell phone I experienced a problem similar to the OP: I expected to be connected with the police, and was told that they handled fire and medical emergencies only and that I had to dial another number. This wasn’t particularly convenient considering that at the time I was desperately trying to eject a violent trespasser from my apartment. In Australia we have 000. Yes you can dial 112 from your mobile but we still prefer you use 000. We have large call centres that take the initial call and then liaise with the relevant authority, police, fire, ambo etc. ---
**Author:** ![Satsuma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/edb3f5/32.png) [@Satsuma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satsuma)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153/46 "2012-03-21T03:44:17Z")
This reminds me of the emergency number from “The It Crowd”: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWc3WY3fuZU](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWc3WY3fuZU) ---
**Author:** ![Wizard\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Wizard\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wizard_One)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153/47 "2012-03-21T06:56:44Z")
OK, I learned about it, due to personal experience and investigating. 911 isn’t free, it never was. It’s a SERVICE that is provided by the telephone company. Hence, if the local government doesn’t want to pay for that service (hence, pass that bill along to you in taxes), it won’t be provided. Even worse, many counties won’t provide cross 911 services, as it adds to THEIR personnel burden. As in, local BIG CITY has its 911 system, right outside of said city, local towns don’t have the money to pay into a county or intercounty 911 system, so they don’t pay for it. So, the mutt runs across the county line and life is good for the mutt. Mutt being criminal of whatever sort said criminal is. Of course, after 9-11, things went even stranger, but not unified. Because, if you want something screwed up, as a politician to fix it. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153/48 "2012-03-21T07:10:17Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > The “worldwide” emergency telephone number is 112, and while it works with all modern cell phone networks, it’s been adopted for landline systems by only maybe half the world’s countries. However, even when calling this number from my cell phone I experienced a problem similar to the OP: I expected to be connected with the police, and was told that they handled fire and medical emergencies only and that I had to dial another number. This wasn’t particularly convenient considering that at the time I was desperately trying to eject a violent trespasser from my apartment. You don’t say where you were. In Spain 112 gets you sent to a general dispatcher who’ll ask the nature of the problem and dispatch whomever they think fits best; your location and the time/date will modify which police or which emergency service is best. We have other, older, 3-digit numbers for other services, but the only one worth remembering is 091 for Policía Nacional; other 3-digit numbers change by location so they’re not very good unless you know who do they call where you are. In the Three Borders area (where Germany, Switzerland and France meet), there are posted signs everywhere saying “if you need to call 112, PLEASE use a landline! A cellphone may get you the wrong country. Thanks.” According to my coworkers, 112 will get you a general dispatcher, same as in Spain. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153/49 "2012-03-21T17:27:08Z")
I used 911 to get help when my MIL had a potential medical emergency. The police were the first to show up, followed soon thereafter by the rescue squad. AFAIK here it is all one call. The police are usually out and about anyway, but the rescue squad is volunteer, so it takes a few minutes longer for them to get someone out there. Still, it was pretty quick. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153/50 "2012-03-22T13:48:16Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Another funding method is a 911 surcharge on phone bills. And I don’t recall being able to vote on that one. 🙂 Maybe not directly, but I believe that the 911 surcharge on phone bills is usually the result of legislation…so state lawmakers vote for a 911 surcharge on all phone bills, that is used to offset the cost to the phone provider of implementing the 911 system. Additional funds are also needed for the day-to-day operations of the center(s). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153/51 "2012-03-22T15:58:44Z")
Calling 911 will, in NE Ohio at least, get you a dispatcher who will ask if you need police, fire or EMS. The number’s even painted on many emergency vehicles, including police cars. There are nonemergency numbers which you can call for all three services. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153/52 "2012-03-22T16:28:49Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Maybe not directly, but I believe that the 911 surcharge on phone bills is usually the result of legislation…so state lawmakers vote for a 911 surcharge on all phone bills, that is used to offset the cost to the phone provider of implementing the 911 system. > > Additional funds are also needed for the day-to-day operations of the center(s). Looking at the phone bill doesn’t really help as all it says is: ‘Local E911 Surcharge’, so I don’t know where exactly it goes. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153/53 "2012-03-22T17:27:27Z")
Is this a landline or cellphone bill? E911 (E = Enhanced) is most often encountered in reference to the latter. It is a service that lets you get the local emergency services when you dial 911, instead of something several towns over. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153/54 "2012-03-22T18:08:48Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > I’ve never lived in a place where you couldn’t call 911 for the police. Here’s the [chief of police](http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/thundercrack/224/912.wav) from Springfield, (mumble), USA. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153/55 "2012-03-22T18:23:29Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Is this a landline or cellphone bill? E911 (E = Enhanced) is most often encountered in reference to the latter. It is a service that lets you get the local emergency services when you dial 911, instead of something several towns over. Landline, but it is VOIP if that makes a difference. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-use-911-for-police/616153.md?page=2)