Drunk dialing a 911 operator landed a Millarville man in jail overnight and he is now facing criminal charges for his behaviour.
On Dec. 17 phone calls from a man, who was believed to be intoxicated, started coming in to 911 operators.
Cpl. Allen Busch of the Turner Valley RCMP said the caller was not making much sense and telling the operator he wanted to call police before his mother did.
“It was mostly a lot of drunken gibberish,” Busch said.
After three phone calls to the emergency line the matter was referred to police.
An officer from the Turner Valley detachment called the man back and had a discussion with him. When it was determined there was no emergency the officer told the man to stop calling 911.
“He was warned if he called again he would be arrested,” said Busch.
After hanging up with the officers the man allegedly called 911 again immediately.
Officers went to his home and he was arrested.
“He was really drunk,” Busch said.
He spent the night in a jail cell at the Turner Valley detachment and was released the next morning.
Jean Paul Savard, 38 of Millarville, is charged with public mischief and conveying false messages.
Busch said public mischief is a serious charge and relates to causing police to launch an unnecessary investigation. The maximum penalty for the charge is two years in jail or a $2,000 fine. The charges haven’t been proven in court. Savard’s first court appearance is set for Jan. 20 in Okotoks.
Busch dealt with a similar situation in Red Deer where a girl led police on a wild goose chase with 911 calls. In that case the accused was sentenced to two years in jail, he said.
Busch said tying up 911 causes multiple problems, such as delaying real emergency calls and wasting police time.
“All 911 calls have to be followed up on,” Busch said.
Police officers take the calls seriously he added and can even enter a home without a warrant if there is reason to believe someone is in danger inside following a 911 call.
“When you dial 911 you are ringing the alarms,” he said.
