With 2016 coming to an end the Chatham-Kent Police Services are taking a look at this year's "silly" phone calls.
Public Information Officer Renee Cowell says this list is to give locals an inside look at the types of calls police get.
"This list clearly demonstrates that when people don’t know who to call they call the police," says Cowell in a media release. "We are asked to wear many hats during a shift, like landlord, referee, 411 operator -- just to name a few.”
The following list ranks the top 10 "Silly Calls of 2016":
10. Police officers were asked about who delivers the London Free Press in specific areas.
9. Someone called saying his wife’s purse had been stolen, but the call taker left out the word "purse". As a result, concerns were heightened for those who read that the caller’s ‘wife’ had been stolen.
8. Someone called for help adjusting the temperature in his apartment, sending a picture of the thermostat through social media.
7. A woman called 911 saying her cable TV was only showing French programs.
6. Police were called to handle a dispute between two neighbours who were arguing over a jar of peanut butter.
5. Someone called asking the dispatcher to provide the phone number of the local Kentucky Fried Chicken.
4. A woman called to ask if it was legal for her to trap squirrels in her backyard and then take them to a nearby field.
3. A thief broke into his neighbour’s apartment only to find the tenant holding a baseball bat. The thief ran out but left one of his boots behind. He then sent his girlfriend back to the neighbour's apartment to get the boot back.
2. A man had been throwing something while running from police. Officers later discovered that the property being thrown was pink urinal cakes. The man said he used the the urinal cakes to play hockey with.
1. A woman in Chatham had posted on her Facebook page "he's trying to kill me." Concerned for her well-being police had been called to check on her. When police found the woman, she had clarified her statement. She had been referring to the smell her husband left in the room after passing gas.
In addition to these calls, police have also released the top excuses people used when they were pulled over for speeding.
- "I have something wrong with my battery and I was trying to charge it fast."
- "I just washed my truck and I was trying to dry it off."
- "I was practicing my lines for a play and must have been pushing on the gas pedal."
- "The speedometer is in mph and that’s why I was going 80 mph."
- "I am just keeping up with traffic" --there was no other traffic around.
- "I had to pass the truck because it pulled out in front of me" -- there was no truck around.
- "I have a vibration in the car when driving at high speeds and I was trying to figure out what it was."
- "What 60km/h zone?"
- "This is an old car, there’s no way I could have been going that fast."
- "I’m not in a hurry, just late for an appointment."