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Police today (February 10) appealed to the public to use the 999 hotline service only for emergencies.
In 2015, the Police Regional Command and Control Centres received 2 180 670 calls, of which only 61.7 per cent, or 1 345 968 calls, were genuine. The remaining 834 702 were nuisance calls or misdialled.
A Police spokesman added that misuse of the emergency hotline would delay the handling of genuine emergencies. It could also endanger the lives of people at risk by postponing their access to the service.
The spokesman said that police stations in various districts could also promptly handle most crime reports and requests of a non-emergency nature. Members of the public are advised to seek assistance from police stations.
Police contact cards listing the telephone and fax numbers of all police stations as well as Police Hotlines are available for collection at police stations and Public Enquiry Service Centres of the Home Affairs Department. The list of contact numbers can also be found on the police website (www.police.gov.hk) and the Hong Kong Police Mobile Application.
Ends/Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Issued at HKT 10:03
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