Alberta RCMP launches province-wide non-emergency line

EDMONTON – Your Alberta RCMP is recognizing the hard work of its Operational Communications Centres (OCC) and their operators during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, running April 13-19. OCC operators are the first point of contact for the public when seeking assistance from the police, in both emergencies and non-emergencies. They work day and night, 365 days a year, and are essential for ensuring public safety.

As a part of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, the Alberta RCMP is happy to announce that individuals in Alberta will now be able make non-emergency police reports by calling 310-RCMP, or 310-7267. The new function is designed to streamline the reporting process, optimize early stages of investigations, and reduce unnecessary calls to 911.

“310-RCMP was created to help eliminate confusion about which detachment someone should call if they experience a non-emergency that doesn’t require police attendance,” says Chris Spence, director of the Operational Communications Centre in Alberta. “We encourage people to report non-emergencies as this helps us focus frontline efforts on high-priority calls and deploy resources in areas that need it most.”

RCMP Police Dispatchers determine when a non-emergency call should be dispatched to a detachment directly or to the Alberta RCMP's Call Back Unit (CBU). The CBU is a unit made up of police officers whose primary duty is to respond to and investigate files that do not require scene attendance by police officers. CBU officers will contact complainants and investigate the occurrence. If, during the investigation, there is need for further investigation they will contact detachments or specialized units.

Long-distance charges do not apply, and no area code prefix required. The number is accessible to all Albertans within the province with a phone line or an active mobile phone with a cellular signal.

Non-emergencies:

• Do not pose an immediate or potential threat to life or public safety.

• Include crimes that have already taken place prior to being discovered.

• Often do not require police attendance, but do require police response.

Examples include but are not limited to:

• Minor motor vehicle collisions.

• Break and enters that already took place.

• Scams in which money or personal information was not transferred or provided.

• Lost property.

• Property damage under $5,000.

• Theft under $5,000.

While these types of reports are important, they are not an emergency.

Ways to report non-emergencies:

• Call 310-RCMP (7267)

• To report online, download the Alberta RCMP app through Apple or Google Play. Alternatively, visit www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ab and select Online Crime Reporting under quick links.

For more information on how to report both emergencies and non-emergencies, please visit the Alberta RCMP website.