Saskatchewan RCMP say 2025 was a year of … creative 911 calls. From missing pork chops to complaints about loud snoring, some calls to the province’s emergency line were, well, less than urgent.
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Saskatchewan RCMP operational communication centre (OCC) employees handle thousands of calls each year, supporting both public and officer safety. In 2025, they answered 422,378 calls – a 15 per cent increase over 2024 – including everything from serious emergencies to situations that “missed the mark,” according to Jocelyn James, manager of the OCC.
“Every moment spent on a call about a family member’s snoring is a moment that could be helping someone in a life-threatening emergency,” said James. “We release this annual list to remind people that 911 should only be used for urgent emergencies.”
Here are the top 10 calls that missed the mark in 2025:
10. End of the roll: A caller was upset about running out of toilet paper.
9. Rocky road: Someone complained about having to drive through a construction zone in their expensive vehicle.
8. Are you there?: A TV show accidentally triggered a 911 call.
7. This isn’t an aisle: An abandoned shopping cart in a driveway prompted a call.
6. Where to next: A caller phoned 911 looking for a taxi service number.
5. Don’t get into a spin: Complaints about neighbours ignoring laundry day rules.
4. Order up: A slow restaurant lunch spurred a 911 call.
3. Zzzzzz’s: Loud snoring by a family member kept someone awake.
2. How dare you: A pork chop was cooked without permission.
1. Can you send a pin?: An individual lost their phone and asked an officer to call it so they could hear it.
RCMP officials say while these calls are amusing, misuse of 911 has serious consequences. It can delay help for someone in real danger and can result in a summary offence charge under the Emergency 911 Systems Act, with fines up to $2,000.
Whether it’s a missing pork chop or a slow lunch, James urges residents to save 911 for life-threatening emergencies and crimes in progress.
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