Increase in Local 911 Hang Ups

The Madison police department is asking the public to be more mindful of accidentally dialing 911. In a social media post, the police department said individuals need to be conscious about the placement of their cellphone.

The last several weeks have seen an increase in 911 hang ups. Many of the hang ups or misdials are because the side buttons on cell phones are accidentally held in, which results in the phone dialing 911. 

If you see that your phone has dialed 911 by mistake, law enforcement asks that you not hang up, but rather stay on the line and answer the dispatcher’s questions. If a 911 call is hung up, it takes up additional resources and time to verify that the call was accidental. 

Some recent weeks have seen as many as 6 911 hang ups, with most weeks receiving 3 to 4.