An Atlanta man made headlines after dialing 911 to report a smelly litter box issue, prompting officials to remind residents that 911 is reserved for life-threatening emergencies. In the audio shared by the Atlanta Police Department, the man expressed concern about the odor from the litter box, but officials emphasized that such pet-related issues should be addressed through local veterinary services, not emergency lines.
The incident shed light on the challenge of unnecessary 911 calls in Atlanta, where only a fraction of the 1.3 million calls handled by ATL e-911 in 2023 were deemed serious emergencies. Examples of non-emergency calls included inquiries about football scores and moving furniture.
To address the influx of non-emergency calls, officials encouraged residents to utilize the ATL 311 system for non-urgent matters, which is now handling APD’s non-emergency calls starting this year. This shift aims to alleviate pressure on the emergency line and ensure that resources are prioritized for genuine emergencies.
