Make the Right Call Campaign

To ensure that Torontonians know what number they call when seeking help, Toronto Police and the City launched an awareness campaign at a news conference at police headquarters on October 28.

“The objective of our joint Make the Right Call campaign is to reduce the number of non-emergency calls to 9-1-1 by increasing understanding of when to call 9-1-1 and when to contact an alternative service,” said Deputy Chief Lauren Pogue. “We want to empower the public with information that ensures everyone gets the right help when needed, especially in emergencies.”

Toronto Police Communications Centre receives over 1.2 million 9-1-1 calls yearly and 664,000 calls annually on its non-emergency line.

Callers are being encouraged to contact 3-1-1 Toronto (by calling or online) for City of Toronto services, such as picking up dead wildlife, and to call 2-1-1 for community services, like accessing mental health support for a person in crisis.

Visit toronto.ca/maketherightcall to learn about what services are avalable on the different lines.

Many people are using the 9-1-1 emergency line for situations that non-emergency lines could better address.

“In an emergency, seconds matter,” Pogue noted. “People in immediate danger, witnessing or involved in an active crime or in need of urgent medical assistance should absolutely call 9-1-1. But for other non-urgent issues, residents have additional resources available.”

The police non-emergency line, 416-808-2222, allows residents to connect with police services, personnel and other programs.

“It is also a place to report crimes that are not or are no longer an emergency like if your home has been broken into, but no one is on your property,” Pogue pointed out. “You can also file a police report online for these situations as well as parking complaints, hate-motivated graffiti or theft under $5,000, among others.”

Some police reports are also can be made online.

Individuals seeking to connect to mental health and community support or social services should call 2-1-1 which is a helpline that is available in more than 150 languages.

“The right call gets you the right help and it keeps the 9-1-1 line open for police, fire and paramedics to respond more quickly,” said Pogue. “I encourage everyone to make the right call to get the right help from the City and the police.”

Seeking alternatives to the current community safety response model, Lily Cheng said the Toronto Police Service Board (TPSB) has been a strong and vocal advocate.

“We acknowledge that there are situations that do not require the presence, interventions or legal police powers of police,” the TPSB Board member and Willowdale City Councillor said. “Community safety is and must be based on so much more than police response. The Board has championed this reimaging of what community safety means to the people of Toronto, incorporating the voices of the public as well as other stakeholders.

“We have strongly supported a range of alternatives to police response, including community-based services to deal with non-emergency crisis and wellness checks… Knowing when to call 3-1-1, 2-1-1, the police non-emergency line, 9-1-1 or even to file an online police report will ensure that members of our communities get the right help at the right time.”

Just over two years ago, the City’s Auditor General recommended actions to the City and Police aimed at reducing the number of unnecessary calls to 9-1-1, educating people and providing clarity on when to make that call.

“Toronto Police have an extremely important duty to protect our city and need the space to do so,” said Mayor Olivia Chow. “I am happy to see a campaign that will get the job done in providing that clarity to our residents. There are a lot of reoccurring issues that take up time from 9-1-1 emergency operators in critical moments that can affect services being dispatched. We know that 9-1-1 receives a lot of non-emergency complaints, unclear or argumentative calls, accidental dials and callers that hang up and call back repetitively in hopes of getting further in the queue. All of these instances cause delays and, in some cases, life-threatening or altering situations.

“We all know that in an emergency, every second matters,” Chow said. “A change in the way we use our services is critical at a time when nearly 30 percent of 9-1-1 calls are for non-emergency matters. I am confident that by working together to spread awareness, we can strengthen 9-1-1 operations and help to keep Toronto safe.”