Origins: Just after midnight on 20 November 1986, in Kansas City,
Missouri, three policemen followed up on a mysterious 911 call. The emergency
dispatcher had given them the address (traceable by computer) but was unable to
describe the problem because the caller had hung up as soon as the 911 operator
had answered the phone. Could it be a hostage taking? A medical emergency? The
policemen dispatched to the scene had no idea what they might be walking into.
At the address they'd been sent to investigate, the officers found 1.25 lbs. of
cocaine, more than 500 grams of crack, two pistols, and more than $12,000 in
cash, as well as three very surprised crooks. Though the three people in the
apartment fled, two of them (Pauline Webley, 27, of Florida and Geneive Hyde,
32, of New York) were later caught and charged with possession of cocaine.
What had happened to bring the police to the criminals' door?
The ring members had called the cops on themselves. One of them had tried to
dial 921, the first few digits of their leader's phone number, but had instead
reached the police emergency number.
Were these crooks unusual?
Far from it: it appears crooks unwittingly call the cops on themselves with
surprising regularity by connecting to 911 emergency services (and sometimes
older cordless phones actually dial 911 themselves). Consider the following
oddball cases:
March 1997; San Diego, California:
Trying to call Mexico, a drug dealer dialed 911 instead of 011. Though he hung
up when the emergency services operator answered, a police patrol was dispatched
to his address. Four bad guys were arrested and 42 lbs. of marijuana and 2 oz.
of methamphetamine were seized.
February 1996; Frederick, Maryland:
A lad called 911 to report the shed he was growing marijuana in was on fire. He
got 60 days.
August 1996; Los Angeles, California:
Yet another failed attempt to call Mexico netted this drug dealer a visit from
John Law. A gun, $15,000 and a 3 lb. bag of powdered cocaine were discovered at
this fellow's house.
February 1994; Laguna Nigel, California:
A man programming his phone to speed-dial 911 (Huh? The number is that hard to
remember?) was arrested when sheriff's deputies responded to his call. He and
his two buddies appeared to be under the influence of crystal methamphetamine
and drug paraphernalia was found in the apartment, so the three of them were
placed under arrest.
February 1990; San Diego, California:
A phone programmed to automatically dial 911 when bumped or dropped gave this
set of crooks away. Police discovered 250-300 marijuana plants growing in the
house they'd been sent to investigate.
The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/spoons/noose/911.htm
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Sources:
Core, Richard. "Man Programming Phone Calls 911." Los Angeles Times.
12 February 1992 (p. B1).
Agence France Press. "Dial 911 for Emergency Drug Bust." 19 March
1997.
Los Angeles Times. "Boy, Did He Get a Wrong Number." 30 August 1996
(p. B4).
The San Diego Union-Tribune. "Phone Auto-Dials Cops." 5 February 1990
(p. B1).
United Press International. "Police Credit 911 Call for Drug Arrests."
20 November 1986.
USA Today. "Across the USA: News from Every State." 15 February 1996
(p. A8).