JANESVILLE — Janesville police say they had nearly 30 hangups on 911 calls in May, and that number is on the rise already this month.
The Janesville Police Department and the Rock county Communications Center attribute those calls to pocket dials, mis-dials are children playing with a phone.
Dispatchers say they often hear lawn mowers running, the sounds of pockets swishing or children playing in the background.
During the month of May the Janesville Police Department received 914 abandoned 911 calls (approximately 29/day) from the dispatch center. During the first 4 days of June JPD have received 174 abandoned 911 calls (approximately 43/day).
Each time a call to 911 is made, a dispatcher takes the call and has to evaluate what is happening, according to a news release.
They attempt to identify the caller or listen for background noise to determine if it is a real emergency. The dispatcher checks prior calls for service if they cannot get the caller back on the line. This all takes time. The 911 line is for emergency use, and these calls impede normal 911 calls.