Wrong, FRiend.
911 is the emergency response number. It's for EMERGENCIES. You can get emergency Fire, Ambulance and/or Law Enforcement help through your 911 call. In some jurisdictions, all three are sent to EVERY 911 call. It is NOT for routine, non-emergency issues. Every one of those agencies has a regular phone number for that sort of call.
You call 911 when you need Police/Fire/Ambulance response RIGHT NOW.
Is it that the crime of petty theft doesn't apply here, because this woman's somehow unworthy? Is she less worthy of police backup and intervention than McY D's is? What do you do when someone takes your money and won't give you exactly what you paid for, or your money back? Pull a gun and threten them to give your $s back? Walk away? ...or do you dial 911 like the f'n store would if you grabbed $6 out of the register and walked?
This situation is NOT an emergency. Here's a clue why: The McDonalds restaurant won't be running down the street to get away.
This is the kind of dispute for which small claims court exists. Yes, money was involved, and most cases which come before small claims probably involve money too.
It's not an emergency, and the caller had no business using 911 for it. She should be fined.
" Wrong, FRiend.
911 is the emergency response number. It's for EMERGENCIES. You can get emergency Fire, Ambulance and/or Law Enforcement help through your 911 call.
No. The state of FL created the service with the express intent for it to be used for PUBLIC SAFETY ASSISTANCE. That includes police assistance to THEFTS IN PROGRESS. The legislature did not give any police in any FL jurisdiction the power to discriminate between what VALID complaints of CRIMINAL LAW VIOLATIONS are worthy enough to be given due public safety assistance.
For reference: FL365.172(13) MISUSE OF 911 OR E911 SYSTEM; PENALTY.--911 and E911 service must be used solely for emergency communications by the public. Any person who accesses the number 911 for the purpose of making a false alarm or complaint or reporting false information that could result in the emergency response of any public safety agency; any person who knowingly uses or attempts to use such service for a purpose other than obtaining public safety assistance; or any person who knowingly uses or attempts to use such service in an effort to avoid any charge for service, commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
Note the lack of false premises in the call. It was a valid call complaining of an ongoing violation of FL812.014(a) This statute therefore does not apply.
In some jurisdictions...
Irrelevant. It FL and only the FL statutes apply.
...a regular phone number for that sort of call.
The regular number is for infomational calls and other chit chat type calls that do not involve a NEED for PUBLIC SAFETY ASSISTANCE.