WINNIPEG — When you call 911 you expect to get help and fast. But for some calling on cellphones from the outskirts of Winnipeg those calls could be redirected to a provincial call centre and from there to the RCMP – not the Winnipeg Police Service.
A city hall committee today asked Winnipeg police to look into the issue.
City Councillor Russ Wyatt received a call from one family living in Transcona who tried calling 911 in October to report three suspects breaking into their home at around 4 a.m.. One man in the family managed to apprehend a suspect and was holding that person while his wife and daughter called for help.
Their call was allegedly put on hold for up to 15 minutes and transferred to the RCMP. By the time they were transferred to the Winnipeg Police Service all three suspects had escaped.
“The Winnipeg Police Service has informed me this is not just an issue in my community but it’s an issue for any person who lives near the boundary of the city of Winnipeg and the outskirts of the city and is an issue right across Canada,” said Wyatt. He said that anyone living within a kilometer of the perimeter should use a land line when calling 911 but if there is only access to a cell phone to immediately say the call is regarding a Winnipeg emergency.
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