Crime Watch Against ‘False Emergency Reports’

Crime Watch has spoken against residents who often made ‘false emergency reports’ to the program. By that, the program has called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to support the introduction of an appropriate legal framework to deter individuals from providing ‘false, and misleading emergency information to the Program, particularly during odd hours operations.

The program says, repeated hoax reports have placed ‘unnecessary pressure’ on government institutions, including the Liberia National Police (LNP), and the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS), which respond to emergency alerts relayed by the program.

Crime Watch CEO, Zeze Ballah said, some callers report incidents that require urgent police, or fire service intervention.

Ballah noted that responding officers, and firefighters arrive at the reported locations without finding the emergencies.

He argued that such incidents waste valuable government resources, expose emergency responders to unnecessary risks, and can delay assistance to people facing genuine emergencies.

Latest Hoax Accident Report Triggers Police Response

Ballah explained how the latest reported incident occurred at approximately 2:34 a.m. on Monday, September 21, when an individual contacted Crime Watch, and claimed that a vehicle had struck a motorcyclist around the 12^th Street area in Sinkor, Monrovia.

“The caller reportedly informed the program that the motorcyclist was lying on the ground, bleeding, and in need of immediate police intervention.”

Following the report, Ballah said, Crime Watch immediately contacted LNP to request an emergency response, adding: “while police officers were reportedly en route to the location, private security personnel monitoring the Program also proceeded to the area to investigate the situation.”

However, he said, the responding security personnel reportedly found no accident, or injured motorcyclist at the scene, stressing: “the caller immediately switched off the phone shortly afterward.” Ballah meanwhile, said, the incident highlights the potential consequences of unverified emergency reports, and the need for stronger measures to identify individuals, who deliberately mislead emergency response institutions.

Crime Watch Appeal

Ballah has therefore, called on Pres. Boakai, and relevant government institutions to consider measures that would establish appropriate penalties for deliberate ‘false emergency reporting, strengthen coordination between Crime Watch, LNP, and the LNFS, develop lawful mechanisms to tracing, and investigate hoax emergency callers, promote public awareness about the serious consequences of misusing emergency response services, and protect government resources, and ensure emergency responders can prioritize genuine incidents.