Staffordshire Police is urging people to ‘think before they dial’ as a 69-year-old man has been convicted after making 13 threatening 999 calls to the force in a 75-minute period in June.
Ronald Anthony Regan, 69, of Chivelstone Grove, Trentham, pleaded guilty to misuse of the public communications network at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre on 26 July.
During the calls, he made threats towards police officers and claimed he was going to kill someone and stab someone. The prosecution said that he had been calling to ‘get attention’.
Lisa Cope, head of the Force Contact Centre, said: “As a direct result of prolific calls like these, we are unable to deal with genuine emergencies.
“It puts additional pressure on the force’s Contact Centre at a time when the numbers of people getting in touch via emergency and non-emergency methods is continuing to increase.”
Regan is due to be sentenced on 24 August.
Only call 999 in an emergency – when someone is in immediate danger or when a crime is in progress.
To report non-emergency incidents, report online at www.staffordshire.police.uk (reports are dealt with by our Contact Centre the same whether you report online or call 101), via private message on Facebook or Twitter or dial 101.
Go online at www.staffordshire.police.uk to find answers to many of the questions people ask when calling the police.
