Peel Police remind residents to only call for emergencies, not missing soap

Peel Region Police are reminding people to only call 9-1-1 when there’s an emergency and not for roommate squabble.

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), the Peel Region Police said not to call them about your “roommate not putting the dish soap back in the right spot.” Evidently, people are misusing 9-1-1.

Roommate not putting the dish-soap back in the right spot, is not a sufficient reason to dial 9-1-1.

If you require police for a non-urgent matter, please use the Non-Emergency line. 905-453-3311.

Make the right choice!

— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) April 13, 2025

Last year, Peel Regional Police confirmed that of the approximately 1,800 calls it receives daily, more than 40 percent (720) are “deemed non-legitimate, inappropriate or misuse.” At the time, it also noted that half of the more than 100,000 911 calls it received in a two-month period were hang-ups or non-emergent.

In Ontario, calling 9-1-1 is a criminal offence. However, if you call them by accident, it’s worth staying on the phone to let them know it was an accident. Quickly hanging up will result in 9-1-1 giving you a return call. (I know this from personal experience.)

Source: Peel Regional Police