Question for Law Enforcerment folks

[Little6pack]

Had a visit from my local PD today.
Officer rang the bell. I answered door.
Went outside to talk due to our mutt barking & ask him if I could help him.
He said they got a call from a child from my address.
He asked if I had Children in the house I said yes, lets go in and ask them.

My daughter was sitting in room watching TV & he asked her if she called 911.
No
Then my son ripped himself away from Gameboy to see who was at the house.
So officer asks him if he called. No.

I told him that was it no other kids home with me. I grabbed the only phone on 1st level of house & hit redial. Saw my brothers number as last call out.

My Question is HOW does the 911 system work? Can the 911 system mess up? Can someone pull a prank call?

 

[stack1]

There is a thing called telephone spoofing. There are websites that you can place a call to anyone and make their caller id show whatever number you want. It seems kinda dumb for someone to randomly do that to you. I did call a buddy's house once and had the local police department phone number show up on his called id.

 

[Little6pack]

There is a thing called telephone spoofing. There are websites that you can place a call to anyone and make their caller id show whatever number you want. It seems kinda dumb for someone to randomly do that to you. I did call a buddy's house once and had the local police department phone number show up on his called id.

Really? Could that be a real call with a childs voice done via the internet?

Yes it seems like a dumb stunt by someone. It is more of a waste of police resources than pranking me.

 

[cork]

The 911 system in my area of PA. often receives false signals. I heard it can be caused by static in phone lines, computer modems, low battery on cordless phone, etc. These usually just cause the phone to ring at the dispatch center, no voices are heard.

 

[Little6pack]

I just did a little research on phone spoofing. Seems like congress was working on a bill to stop this but we know our Congress is OUT TO LUNCH currently.

I mean most of my friends are not into these kiddies pranks.

Only thing I can think of is my teen son's friends or a pizzed off ebay customer.

 

[rmar]

Payback for out running that rice the other night.....

 

[GNBRETT]

I guess anything is possible but in 13 years of LE I have yet to be dispatched to a house for a 911 hang up and it not come from that particular house. Usually kids playing with the phone.

 

[Little6pack]

I guess anything is possible but in 13 years of LE I have yet to be dispatched to a house for a 911 hang up and it not come from that particular house. Usually kids playing with the phone.

Daughter in family room No phone there
Son in living room No phone there
Me in dining room on computer No phone there
Other son at college & other son out at friends house.

I can see the kitchen & phone in cradle.

I will chalk this up as a spoofer.

 

[Louie L.]

I guess anything is possible but in 13 years of LE I have yet to be dispatched to a house for a 911 hang up and it not come from that particular house. Usually kids playing with the phone.

I have responded to specific mobile home lots at trailer parks for 911's. Upon arrival at the specific lot, there is no home on the lot.

 

[six is enough]

Same thing happened to me two or three years ago. What happened was one of the kids was getting on the internet and the number the computer dialed went to 911. Child could hear dispatch thru the speaker on his laptop. Strange things can happen. Of course we got a visit from the Sheriff department. He told us that they had received several 911 calls from a local school in the middle of the night and no one was at the school at the time.

 

[Fachie Motion]

I have responded to specific mobile home lots at trailer parks for 911's. Upon arrival at the specific lot, there is no home on the lot.

Wow ! I've seen people run out the back door , jump out a window , or off a fire escape to get away , but moving the whole house That's taking it to a whole new level

 

[VETKILR]

Get a lot of 911 disconnects here in Vegas, usually they can link if it is a house, apartment, payphone, etc. But sometimes for w/e reason we go to a 911 disconnect at a house, and it didnt even come from that house. We will have dispatch recall the # and sometimes the house we are at, it doesnt answer, who knows lol!

 

[gnxtc2]

I also have responded to hang up/disconnect 911 calls. Usually people mis- dial the prefix (011+number) for overseas; hit 9 instead of the 0. But most of the time, it's kids playing on the phone.

The best was when the kid pranked 911 and I arrived at the house. The parent answers the door and I explained the reason I was there. She confronted her child and the child admitted to dialing 911 and hanging up. She turns turns to the kid and gives him a smacking. Needless to say I walked away smiling

Billy T.
gnxtc2@aol.com

 

[INEEDAGN]

I got blamed for it once when I was young. Another kid by the same name in a neighboring town called in 5 times and told them his name. The county sheriff at the time was good friends with my family and he assumed it was me. Maybe they didn't have the tracking back then that they do now, otherwise I don't know why they wouldn't have went to his house from the start.

 

[chopped39]

My nephew called 911 from school just to see if the cops would come.He was 8 years old.The cops from three towns showed up with the fire departments.At least he admitted doing it. My buddy is a patrol officer and they got a prank 911 call saying there was a fire. the guy stayed on the phone with 911 .when the police showed up there was no fire.The 911 operator said she heard the guy start laughing and got a gps on the phone and linked it to cop and they caught the dumba$$.

 

[berserker6]

im an outside tech for the local phone company and have been dispatched out on phantom 911 calls numerous times as have the other techs in the garage, and the one common trouble we always find is a light ground somewhere on the line. whether its in the house or out on the line. clearing the ground solves the problem. but i dont know why the police 911 equipment interprets it as a call.?

 

[monteperformanc]

Had an officer ring my bell at midnight one night a few years back saying that they got a 911 call from my house. It was just me and my wife and nobody called. He said what sometimes happens is with all of the different phone companies now (cable, dsl, etc.) the records don't get updated properly. Someone else probably did call, and their number was somehow previously linked to my address.