It’s not a good idea to give a cellphone to a toddler to use as a toy.
The Halton Police is saying that, even if the phone isn’t connected to a service provider, it can still dial 911.
“This is a safety feature that is well intended and can save lives; however, it can also needlessly exhaust emergency service resources when old phones are put into the wrong hands,” the HRPS says in a release.
The Halton Police says its 911 call centre receives hundreds of calls each year from phones given to young children as toys.
“These calls tie up resources including the communication members who take the calls and responding officers. If the 911 operator is unable to confirm the call was made in error or by a child playing with a phone, the police must be dispatched. There are also circumstances that may involve fire and EMS being dispatched as well.”
A recent call had operators on the line for 90 minutes as officers knocked on over 50 doors to make sure the child was actually safe. Turns out, the same child had also called 911 from the same phone the previous night, again tying up lines and utilizing unnecessary resources.
Do NOT give your child a cellphone as a toy. You could face serious consequences if you do.
