The 911 Emergency Service in Quintana Roo is facing a relentless wave of prank calls. In the first half of 2024, the service received a staggering 731,856 calls, over half of which, 469,661 to be precise, were deemed inappropriate.
According to data from the Department of Citizen Security, these inappropriate calls made up 64.1% of all calls received by the four Coordination, Control, Command, Computation, and Communication Centers (C4) in Quintana Roo. These centers are located in Chetumal, Cancún, Playa del Carmen, and Cozumel.
The number of prank calls in the first half of 2024 exceeded the total from the same period in 2023. That year, the C4s recorded 563,218 calls, with 333,696 identified as pranks, accounting for 59.2% of all inappropriate calls.
Breaking down the figures, the C4 in Cancún logged 419,283 calls, with 291,521 deemed inappropriate, a whopping 70%. The C4 in Playa del Carmen recorded 148,965 calls, of which 83,937 were inappropriate, making up 56% of the total. Meanwhile, the C4 in Chetumal received 114,681 calls, with 72,202 classified as inappropriate, equating to 63%. Lastly, the C4 in Cozumel registered 48,927 calls, with 22,002 identified as inappropriate, or 45% of the total.
The 911 Emergency Service number is designed to be dialed when a person is in danger and requires immediate help. It is intended to handle emergencies and crimes, which are defined as abnormal situations that pose a threat to a person's physical well-being, their property, society, or public health.
The Penal Code of Quintana Roo states that anyone who makes a false alert to emergency services, thereby causing the unnecessary mobilization of emergency personnel, civil protection, firefighters, or public security institutions, can face six months to two years in prison. They may also be fined between 4,481 and 44,810 pesos.
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