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Police: 911 Call From Child Likely Not Authentic

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Mar 18, 2009 2:32 pm US/Mountain

Police: 911 Call From Child Likely Not Authentic

EDGEWATER, Colo. (CBS4) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: Edgewater police searched a five-block radius around 20th Avenue and Benton Street.
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Police is Edgewater say they received five calls from a 3-year-old saying he couldn't wake his mother up, but the department couldn't trace the calls to an exact address. They have concluded the call was not authentic and may have been a child playing with a phone.

The phone company suggested officers focus their search in a five-block radius around 20th Avenue and Benton Street. They conducted a door-to-door search, but they didn't find a child.

"It's a small boy, a toddler, and it sounds very legit and he says that he cannot wake his mommy up and unfortunately the call breaks out after that and we can't re-contact the number because we don't have it and we have to wait for him to call back," Steve Davis with Edgewater police said Tuesday night.

They traced the calls to an AT&T phone, but they say it's a "Phase 2" phone, also known as a "rebid" or "911" phone. Police say the types of phones are usually phones that are not active, but still have the ability to call 911. However, no address can be found from calls coming in from a "911" phone.

The phone's GPS system was "pinging" a tower in the area, but the calls could actually be coming from a much wider area -- anywhere within a square-mile.

"The request was made that citizens check on neighbors, friends and relatives who may have a toddler in the area. With the assistance of the media, the community, and patrol staff several more houses were checked and officers did not locate anyone needing assistance," Davis said in a prepared statement on Wednesday. "At this time, Edgewater police officials have concluded the door-to-door search and feel confident that the area was well canvassed."

The City of Edgewater is rather small with a police force of just 16 officers -- three per shift.

"We ask that this serve as a reminder that cell phones, even without service, are not toys and should not be given to small children," Davis said.

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