Will the police respond if you call 911 and stay on the line but don't say anything?

Question

If I called 911 and then just stayed on the line without saying anything, would they come? Or would they assume it was a prank/accidental call and ignore it?

I've always been curious about that because sometimes if I'm home alone, I get paranoid about what would happen if someone broke in or something. In which case, I probably couldn't talk to the 911 dispatcher or they would hear me talking and find me (if I was trying to hide or something).

Luckily, no one has ever broken in or anything (knock on wood) but it doesn't mean that it couldn't happen... I just want to know, *just in case*...

And also, how long would it take to track down your address by GPS if you're calling from a cell phone? I don't have a house phone in my room and I use my cell for everything. I called 911 on my cell once for a car accident outside my house and they had to ask me my address, the intersection, the township, etc and it took over 10 mins for someone to get there... (Luckily no one was hurt though).

Geez people, I'm not THAT paranoid!!! You can't tell me you have NEVER been home alone and thought "What would I do if such-and-such happens?" I said I was just curious!

I like to be prepared for unexpected events...

Or maybe I just watch too much CSI and Law & Order where people DO break in and hurt people.

When I was little, I dialed 911 on my grandmom's phone and then hung up real quick and no one came. And later my sister did it too and no one came then either.... So maybe it just depends how busy they are.... Or if you hang up immediately, they assume that it was an accident then....?

Answer 1

Its good to think about these things. Its mental preparation. People should always be asking themselves "What would I do if...?"

My PD responds to all 911 calls. Leave the phone off the hook so the call taker can hear anything that happens. It'll be relayed to the responding officer to give him a better chance to prepare.

If its a cell in your name, they will look up the owner of that number. If the address is near the cell tower that's sending out the call we'll check the address listed on that cell account. If you're near your home but somewhere else calling 911 on a cell, you probably won't be found. Sorry. Gotta talk...whisper.

Answer 2

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First of all, if you call 911 by accident, stay on the line. The dispatcher will get the call regardless of if you hang up the phone or not (911 doesn't work like phones, you can't hang up and the call goes away). Some one responded that they respond to every 911 call to their department. This isn't true. Police officers have no idea of how many calls come in on a daily basis because they are not there answering the phone when it rings, they only know when they are sent to one. When a 911 call comes in the dispatcher will assess the situation. If the caller has already hung up the line, the dispatcher will attempt to call the number back. If there is no answer or only voicemail an officer will be sent. If the phone line is still open and no one is talking to them, they will be sent. If the caller stays on the line and explains a mistake the dispatcher will listen to the tone of voice of the caller and the background noises to determine if there is anything suspicious. At that point it is really up to the dispatcher whether or not to send someone. If you haven't gotten a visit from the police in 40 mins then you're not going to get one. 911 calls are considered an "urgent" matter and are usually there in well under 20 mins. And no, you will not be charged with a crime for mistakenly or accidentally calling 911 unless you harass the 911 center.

Answer 3

I am a Milwaukee officer and if someone calls and doesn't say anything we still respond...however we won't respond as quickly as we would if someone would talk to us regarding their emergency. If the telecommunicator can hear a struggle going on or a fight of some kind, they will get us over there or even if you dial 911 and then hang up, we are sent out. I don't know about other cities or states though.

Sometimes if it's a bs complaint then the person can get a ticket for 911 abuse.

As far as the accident goes, they asked all those questions because why would they use GPS when they can get the info from you? Plus just cuz it took ten minutes doesn't mean that will happen everytime. It was a car accident with no injuries which is not high on the priority list.

They use GPS from a cell phone based on the towers so you need to get a phone in your room cuz it won't give your address if you can't give it.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

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RE:
Will the police respond if you call 911 and stay on the line but don't say anything?
If I called 911 and then just stayed on the line without saying anything, would they come? Or would they assume it was a prank/accidental call and ignore it?

I've always been curious about that because sometimes if I'm home alone, I get paranoid about what would happen if someone broke...

Answer 6

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Answer 7

The Supreme Court had said that police have no duty to answer a 911 call, or any other call for that matter. People who called 911 and the police did nothing were not able to sue the police departments. The courts have repeatedly said that the police are for investigating crime and making arrests. Police are not required to respond to any call. They aren't required to intervene if they see a crime in progress. Sure you usually will get a response. What is your plan if you don't?

Answer 8

They will come if you call from a land line. Enhanced 911 makes that possible. If it is a prank you will be ticketed or charged with filing a false police report.

Some cell phone systems are equipped to triangulate but not all. They will however know who owns the phone.

Don't cry wolf or they may not come when you really are in trouble.

Answer 9

They're required to at least send a police for investigation whenever they get a call. My brother and I have made 911 calls when we were very little and they always came, even when my parents explained that they had just let the two kids alone and they [we] got a hold of the phone.

Answer 10

Yes they will. They track your number and find you in order to figure out what is wrong. Sometimes this is a great way if there is a burgular in the home and you do not want him to hear you calling 911. You call 911, put the phone down, and then get out of the house asap.