Prank call ends with 911 lesson

SANDUSKY — Sandusky police taught a child a valuable lesson about 911 misuse early Friday morning. Just before 1 a.m., 911 dispatchers received a call from a female who said an intruder was in her house. The call then disconnected. The line was not answered when dispatchers called back, but they learned the phone pinged to a residence in the 600 block of Shelby St. Officers arrived at the home and spoke with a woman. They then learned a child in the home called 911 as a prank. Sandusky police officers spoke with the child about the severity of making false alarms. "911 is for emergencies," said Sandusky police Chief Jared Oliver. "Prank calling 911 is not a laughing matter." Misuse of 911 is a fourth-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail, up to a $250 fine or both. Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth said in addition to tying up dispatchers, prank 911 calls can also create, "unnecessary and unwarranted danger for all involved parties." If a dispatcher receives a call of an intruder in a home, they must assume it is true and dispatch officers, he said. Those officers will be on high alert as they will believe they are responding to a burglary in progress. Prank 911 calls also tie up law enforcement manpower and could potentially affect their response to genuine emergencies. "To anyone contemplating making a prank 911 call, know that our ability to pinpoint where calls are coming from is far more advanced than years ago," Sigsworth said.