*******************************
Police today (July 10) appealed to the public to use the 999 hotline service only for emergencies.
In the first six months in 2011, the Police Regional Command and Control Centres received 1,049,748 calls, of which only 51.7 per cent, or 542,977 calls, were genuine. The remaining 506,771 were nuisance calls or misdialled.
A Police spokesman said, ¡°Misuse of the emergency hotline would unnecessarily engage operators of the control centres and delay the handling of genuine emergencies.
"It could also endanger the lives of people at risk by postponing their access to the service," he added.
The spokesman said that police stations in various districts could also promptly handle most crime reports and requests of a non-emergency nature. Members of the public are advised to seek assistance from police stations.
Police contact cards listing the telephone and fax numbers of all police stations as well as Police Hotlines are available for collection at police stations and Public Enquiry Service Centres of the Home Affairs Department. The list of contact numbers can also be found on the police website (www.police.gov.hk).
Police Report No. 5
Issued by PPRB
Ends/Sunday, July 10, 2011
Issued at HKT 12:09
NNNN