These are the 10 strangest 911 calls Sask. RCMP received in 2023

Saskatchewan RCMP’s communication centre had a busy year in 2023, receiving 352,663 calls for service. However, some of those calls came from residents who didn’t quite understand the definition of an emergency.

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From a snack stuck in a vending machine to a request to remove wasps, here are the RCMP’s top 10 calls that "missed the mark'" in the past year.

1. Someone called RCMP to complain that the smell of the deep-fried rink food was too strong.

2. Someone hired a person to cut their grass, then called RCMP to complain that it wasn’t cut properly.

3. An individual whose campsite was being invaded by bugs called RCMP because they didn’t have any bug spray.

4. A bag of chips got stuck in a vending machine, so someone called to see if an officer would come help and get the chips unstuck.

5. Someone called 911 to ask for a salon’s phone number so they could book a haircut.

6. A person called 911 to see if they could park their car on the other side of the street so the sun wouldn’t affect their leather interior.

7. Someone’s batteries in their smoke detector were low, so they requested an officer to pick some up for them.

8. A parent called 911 to complain that their child wouldn’t clean their room.

9. A person called officers to ask an officer to come help remove wasps from their house.

10. Someone called 911 to complain that their friend hit them in the face during a boxing match.

“As entertaining as some of these calls are, we want to remind everyone that 911 is for emergencies and emergencies only,” Lee Rosin, recruiter for the Saskatchewan RCMP Operational Communications Centre, said in a news release.

“When I’m answering calls that aren’t an emergency, it means I’m not available for someone else who really does need potentially life-saving help.”