Quebec City police receive so many accidental calls to 911 that it is reaching out to the public for assistance.
The police department, known as the SPVQ, made a plea to residents on social media Thursday to stop pocket or “butt-dialing” them.
Authorities say recent software updates for cellular phones may make it easier to make emergency calls and that the 911 service has been inundated with unintended calls as a result.
“Lately, these accidental calls represent about 39 per cent of total calls, or about 750 per day,” police said on social media.
Police ask residents to consider de-activating the Emergency SOS functions on their devices so as not to unintentionally bog down dispatchers.
“The consequences of these calls are numerous and have a real impact on the call response time for real emergencies,” the department said.