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Calif. city to charge for bogus emergency calls

By Owen Thomas
NBC New York

VALLEJO, Calif. — If you dial 911 and then change your mind, the city of Vallejo, Calif. will soon charge you $200.

Admittedly, the city is strapped for cash. Vallejo filed for bankruptcy last year. But are people calling an emergency number really the best source of funds?

City officials say the fee is necessary to stop the cost of sending out police officers on bogus calls, the Vallejo Times-Herald reports. When people call 911, hang up, and don’t respond to dispatchers calling them back, two officers must respond.

Full story: Only 3 percent of hangup calls are actual emergencies