Guelph’s police chief offers advice on when to call 911

“Should I dial 911?”

That’s a question many Guelph residents find themselves asking in certain situations.

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Police Chief Gordon Cobey joined Lisa and Brent from The Breakfast Club on Magic 106.1 FM on Wednesday morning for a Facebook Live video.

They chatted about a variety of Guelph-related topics, and dialling 911 came up.

Cobey offered some advice to residents.

“If there’s an issue where there’s an immediate risk to safety, security or property, and you think you immediately need police right now — call 911,” he said.

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This could include crimes in progress, violence, medical emergencies or fire.

Police are reminding residents to remain calm when calling 911 and to speak slowly and clearly.

Callers will be asked information regarding the emergency such as their location, name and phone number so the appropriate response can be initiated.

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The police service also uses 519-824-1212 as a 24-hour, non-emergency number. Those who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired can contact police at 1-866-513-8062.

Certain incidents, like reporting stolen or lost property under $5,000 can be reported on the Guelph Police Service’s website.

Cobey also assured residents who do not speak English that they can still call the police.

“Whether it be a 911 call or an administrative question, if someone’s first language isn’t English, they can still call us,” he said.

Police have access to interpreters in 170 languages, 24 hours a day.

The caller will be asked to say their language of choice, and an operator will connect them with an interpreter.

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More information about contacting Guelph police and reporting incidents can be found on the force’s website.

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Cobey said any concerns should be reported to police so they can help address the issue.

“Often, people think they can’t call the police because it’s not a big enough deal,” he said.

“If we don’t know about something, we can’t engage, we can’t help. We can’t understand what the issue is so we can’t take steps to help you.”