As seems to happen every time an Amber Alert is issued, some people were annoyed.
They took to Twitter and Facebook to air that annoyance. Some even called 911 to complain, enough that Toronto Police felt it necessary to tweet a reminder that the emergency number is only for emergencies.
Being annoyed by an Amber Alert is hardly an emergency.
“Once again our Communications Centre has been receiving a number of calls from citizens using it as a platform to complain about being awaken by the Amber Alert,” Toronto Police tweeted. “REMINDER: 9-1-1 is for EMERGENCIES ONLY.”
A reader on Sudbury.com was taken to task by other readers for his comment, the first posted under the story advising of the Amber Alert issued for three-year-old William Gooden.
“I’m getting tired of being disrupted by these amber alerts. I got woken up at 5am because the police are asking for my assistance in finding this child? Why can’t the police do their job themselves I DO NOT want to be disrupted day or night every time there is a Amber Alert in Ontario. This alert system is so disruptive to the public; we have a right as private citizens to peace and quiet.”
In response to Sudbury.com’s tweet about the Amber Alert being issued, Sudbury MPP Jamie West tweeted a thank you to police for their efforts to find the missing boy.
“Early this morning the @SudburyPolice woke me up with an Amber Alert for 3 year-old William Gooden, who was last seen heading to Toronto from Sudbury on bus with 25-year-old Breana Gooden,” West tweeted. “I want to thank them for this. My sleep will never be as important as child safety.”
GSPS thanked him and added a comment on the people calling 911.
“Thank you! You’d be amazed at the number of angry people calling us to complain.”
