Ontario police remind public what 911 is for after call about missing soap

Peel Region Police are reminding people to only call 911 when there's an emergency and not for roommate squabble.

In a recent post on X, the Peel Region Police said not to call them about your "roommate not putting the dish soap back in the right spot." Evidently, people are misusing 911.

Roommate not putting the dish-soap back in the right spot, is not a sufficient reason to dial 9-1-1.

If you require police for a non-urgent matter, please use the Non-Emergency line. 905-453-3311.

Make the right choice!

— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) April 13, 2025

Last year, Peel Regional Police confirmed that of the approximately 1,800 calls it receives daily, more than 40 percent (720) are "deemed non-legitimate, inappropriate or misuse" (like for a botched Tim Hortons order).

At the time, it also noted that half of the more than 100,000 911 calls it received in a two-month period were hang-ups or non-emergent.

In Ontario, calling 911 without reason is a criminal offence. However, if you call them by accident, it's worth staying on the phone to let them know it was an accident. Quickly hanging up will result in 911 giving you a return call. (I know this from personal experience.)