911 abuse sanctions going into effect

Anyone who intentionally calls 911 for a nonemergency or pocket dials the emergency line frequently could be fined in the future. The Shawano County Board on Wednesday unanimously approved an ordinance making 911 abuse a county offense and subject to county fines. The Shawano Common Council adopted a similar ordinance on Oct. 9. Anyone with three offenses will be fined $200, plus court costs, under the county ordinance. The next offense is a $350 fine, with the fee jumping up to $500 for every infraction thereafter. According to information provided by the Sheriff’s Department, there were 1,702 calls to the 911 system in 2012 that were for nonemergency calls and/or pocket dialing. The Sheriff’s Department estimates there will be at least 200 citations issued the first year the policy is enacted, generating an estimated $43,500. Officials anticipate the infractions should drop in future years. Supervisor Bert Huntington, who sits on the Public Safety Committee, called the ordinance a good policy. “When I first heard about it, I thought, ‘Wow! People are going to get ticketed for calling 911,’ but then after listening to the sheriff’s office explain it, what’s been happening is people actually pocket dial 911,” Huntington said. “They have 911 on speed dial. It happens quite often.” Supervisor Deb Noffke supported the measure but wanted to be sure the policy was not so stringent that people with genuine emergencies might be dissuaded from calling for help. “You don’t want the 911 system used as a chat line,” Noffke said. “The caller apparently has no idea you’re busy.” Corporation Counsel Tony Kordus pointed out that there is latitude for law enforcement and the district attorney to determine whether incidents are blatant or careless. “If somebody calls, and you have a situation where the dialogue between the caller and the dispatcher is, ‘I’m not sure if this is an emergency, but I want to be safe,’ it’s highly unlikely this ordinance would be used against that type of person,” Kordus said. The law takes effect Nov. 1.