Local police departments are seeing a significant increase in the number of dropped 911 calls — and it may be connected to the emergency 911 feature on your phone.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) are among many North American police departments asking people to consider turning off the emergency 911 feature on their Apple or Android phones and smart watches.
Similar messages have been tweeted out by police departments across Ontario, including the London Police Service, Durham Regional Police and Cornwall Police Service.
The 911 emergency feature allows users to quickly dial 911 without unlocking their phone. On
