Not an emergency? RCMP wants you to call this number

Alberta RCMP has launched a province-wide telephone number for reporting non-emergency incidents, aimed at streamlining the reporting process, supporting early-stage investigations and reducing unnecessary calls to 9-1-1.

The number, 310-RCMP (310-7267), is available to all Albertans with a phone line or a mobile phone with cellular signal. No area code is required, and long-distance charges do not apply.

The service was announced during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, which runs till April 19.

The RCMP said the week is a chance to recognize the work of its Operational Communications Centres (OCC) and the operators who serve as the first point of contact for the public in both emergencies and non-emergencies.

"OCC operators work day and night, 365 days a year, and are essential for ensuring public safety," the RCMP said in a statement.

"310-RCMP was created to help eliminate confusion about which detachment someone should call if they experience a non-emergency that doesn't require police attendance," said Chris Spence, director of the Operational Communications Centre in Alberta. "We encourage people to report non-emergencies as this helps us focus frontline efforts on high-priority calls and deploy resources in areas that need it most."

According to the RCMP, police dispatchers determine whether a non-emergency call should be forwarded to a detachment or handled by the Call Back Unit (CBU) — a unit made up of police officers whose primary duty is to respond to and investigate files that do not require scene attendance. CBU officers contact complainants directly and investigate the occurrence. If further investigation is required, they will contact detachments or specialized units.

The RCMP defines non-emergencies as events that:

• do not pose an immediate or potential threat to life or public safety;

• have already taken place prior to being discovered;

• often do not require police attendance, but do require police response.

Examples include:

• minor motor vehicle collisions;

• break and enters that already took place;

• scams in which money or personal information was not transferred or provided;

• lost property;

• property damage under $5,000;

• theft under $5,000.

"These types of reports are important," the RCMP said, "but they are not an emergency."

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