Our first Red Phone call comes from a local parent hoping to
educate her children on dialing 9-1-1. She asked the Crimson
Crusader for some tips.
Our first Red Phone call comes from a local parent hoping to educate her children on dialing 9-1-1. She asked the Crimson Crusader for some tips.
The Crimson Crusader, always an advocate of child safety, took the case. The Crimson Crusader made a quick call to Hollister-Gilroy California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Chris Armstrong to get the skinny on when and how to place an emergency 9-1-1 call.
Armstrong said the only time a resident should dial 9-1-1 is to report a life-threatening emergency or a crime in progress. And a barking dog or noisy neighbor is not considered a crime in progress, he said.
Most cellular 9-1-1 calls are directed to the CHP and not local police, Armstrong said. If calling 9-1-1 from a cell phone, residents should be reporting a crime in progress, reckless or suspected drunken driver, road hazard or serious accident, Armstrong said.
“We don’t want people calling 9-1-1 for weather reports, phone numbers, traffic conditions, directions or other minor incidents,” he said.
Armstrong also urged Spanish-speaking callers to be patient.
“Don’t get frustrated and don’t hang up,” he said. “Be patient; an interpreter will always be there to help out.”
Careful, High-rollers
Our next Red Phone caller, an upstanding gentleman looking to start up a high-stakes poker game in Hollister, asked the Crimson Crusader if playing cards for money violated any local or state laws. The Crimson Crusader made a quick call to San Benito County District Attorney John Sarsfield to find out. Sarsfield said that, yes, gambling without the proper permits would be a misdemeanor violation of the California Penal Code punishable by a fine and up to one year in the county jail.
When to Borrow Books
Our next Red Phone caller, an avid reader, told the Crimson Crusader that every time he goes to the San Benito County Library, it’s closed. He asked the Crimson Crusader to find out when the library is open. Although slightly puzzled as to why an “avid reader” couldn’t read the sign on the library door that clearly states the facility’s hours of operation, the Crimson Crusader took the case. The library is open from 10am to 6pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and from noon to 8pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The library is open from 9am to 5pm on Saturdays and is closed on Sundays.
Stay off his lawn
Our final Red Phone caller of the week, an elderly gentleman of leisure, asked the Crimson Crusader what he could do to keep local kids from trampling on his finely-manicured lawn. The Crimson Crusader knows, from experience, that the best way to handle this kind of situation is to talk with the offending parties in a calm manner. Ask them, nicely, not to walk through your yard. Perhaps even take a few moments to explain to them why it bothers you. If that doesn’t work, talk to the children’s parents; see if they can help.
