Unregistered cellphone makes more than 120 calls to 911 in Guelph

Police in Guelph, Ont., are reminding residents not to let children play with old cellphones after an unregistered device dialed 911 more than 120 times in a single evening.

The Guelph Police Service says the same phone called the emergency number at least 129 times between 4:40 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

Communicators could hear a child during many of the calls but were unable to get anyone’s attention.

Officers were dispatched in an attempt to locate the device using GPS data transmitted with the calls. Police say several addresses were checked, but the phone was not located and no emergency was found.

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Police say any functioning mobile device can call 911, even if it is not connected to a service plan or has its SIM card removed.

However, the approximate location provided by such devices is typically far less accurate than from a phone connected to a cellular network.

Each incoming call from the device was assigned a number beginning with 911, allowing communicators to confirm they were coming from the same phone. But because the device was not connected to a network, it could not be called back.

Police are urging residents to reconsider giving old cellphones to children unless they are fully disabled.

To prevent accidental calls, police suggest removing the battery or allowing the phone to drain completely before handing it over.

Anyone who accidentally dials 911 is urged to stay on the line and speak to a communicator to confirm there is no emergency, preventing the unnecessary use of police resources.