A Toronto woman is calling on the Ontario government to levy fines against people who call emergency dispatchers to complain about broadcasts of Amber Alerts.
Dalia Monacelli says she’s been appalled to read about repeated calls to 911 in the wake of the federally mandated emergency broadcasts, which go out to wireless devices across the province every time police issue an alert concerning a missing child believed to be in imminent danger.
On all five occasions that Amber Alerts have been issued in Ontario this year, police forces have had to plead with the public to stop flooding 911 operators with complaints about the broadcasts, some of which take place in the middle of the night.
Ms. Monacelli says she was upset to see such pleas persisting even after the first Amber Alert of the year culminated in the death of 11-year-old Riya Rajkumar, who police say was killed by her father.
Ms. Monacelli launched an online petition asking Premier Doug Ford and Attorney-General Doug Downey to consider instituting fines for those who tie up 911 resources to complain about the emergency broadcasts.
She says she’s heartened by the fact that the petition has received more than 58,000 signatories so far, but still believes those griping about Amber Alerts need to pay a literal price.
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