191 Hoax Callers Driving Staff Go Nuts

Hoax callers driving staff of 191 special police radio centre up the wall

Only youngsters found involved

The province's 191 special operations police radio centre gets 100 hoax calls a day, driving staff to despair.

Most are children, but are known among staff at the centre as ``psychopath callers''.

They include people making false complaints, callers who say nothing, big groups of callers who laugh and say nothing, callers who play music, people who tell personal stories or use rude words, and even girls and transvestites asking police for sex.

Pol Sgt-Maj Pramote Tanpong, of the provincial police headquarters' communications unit, said the radio centre feared hoax callers could stop people who really need help from getting through.

Pol Sgt-Maj Prasarn Katanyu, who works at the radio centre, said hoax callers usually call before 8am and after 4pm and most are children aged 7-8 and 13-15. People wanting telephone numbers of state agencies also called and annoyed staff.

Some operators were warned and put on probation for using rude words with hoax callers when they ran out of patience.

Pol Capt Sorasit Viriyaphan, head of the Paed Riew radio centre, said it was hard for police to find hoax callers because the centre was outside Muang district, where an ISDN phone system showing callers' phone numbers is in place. When they did find the hoax callers, many were too young to be charged and had to be let off with a warning.

To avoid busy lines, people who need help from police in Chachoengsao can also dial 038-537-221 and 038-537-222.

--Bangkok Post 2003-11-15