Toronto police launch campaign against pocket 911 calls

TORONTO, Ont. - Do you sometimes pocket dial 911 in a non-emergency?

Apparently, many of us do, and Toronto police warn it should not be taken lightly.

In 2011, police answered around 107,000 pocket dials and 116,000 misdials, tying up valuable resources that police say could be used elsewhere.

This phenomenon is behind the "lock it before you pocket" campaign, which police started on Monday.

The campaign suggests people use the "lock" function on their phone's keypad before putting it into their bag or pocket.

A pocket dial happens when an individual unintentionally calls a number on their phone when it is being held in their pocket.

The OPP suggests that, if you find yourself accidentally dialing 911, it's best to stay on the line and explain what happened to the operator.

Otherwise the operator would be obliged to call back to determine whether the call was a mistake or real incident.

Watch video of an actual pocket−dial call placed to the Toronto Communications Centre, 911 line (courtesy of Toronto Police Service)