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Police, Dispatchers Aim To Dispel *77 Legend(Albuquerque Journal (NM) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Jan. 8--A teenage girl is driving alone when a car with flashing lights but no police markings follows close behind. Suspicious that the car might not be a police vehicle, the girl fights the urge to pull over. Instead she calls *77 on her cell phone and is immediately connected to a police dispatcher. She explains the situation and the dispatcher gets her location and tells her to remain calm and keep driving. Within minutes, several marked police cars surround her vehicle and the one that had been following her. The driver, a convicted rapist, is pulled from the vehicle and arrested. Great story, even if it isn't true. The e-mail story has risen to "urban legend" status, according to Lt. Rick Anglada, public information officer of the New Mexico State Police, who has come across the tale in the past. Like a chain letter that keeps making the rounds, some versions of the story have the girl named Lauren, some Lisa. Some are set at night, some in broad daylight. The young woman is driving in Canada, Australia, England and various locales around the United States. She may dial *77, #77 or other three-character codes. But she shouldn't be doing any of that. "I hope women are not calling *77 because they will have a rude awakening waiting for someone to answer," said Marsha Brown, a customer service representative for Cingular. "We offer star services, but *77 is not one of them. The ones we have are for checking balances, payments, tracking minutes and things like that." Likewise, representatives from Verizon, Alltel, T-Mobile, Cricket and Sprint say no such service exists in New Mexico, though several suggested programming 911 as a one-digit speed dial. In Colorado, Sprint subscribers can press *CSP to contact the Colorado State Patrol. "But we tell our customers that this is for reporting road hazards or dangerous drivers and that sort of thing," said Debra Havins, a media spokesperson at the Sprint Nextel regional office in Denver. "It is not meant for emergencies. For that, people should call 911." Which is what the woman in the e-mail didn't do. "Yeah, it's kind of a silly story. It resurfaces periodically," Havins said. "She should have called 911." New Mexico doesn't have any type of phone code arrangement with any cell phone service providers, Anglada said. "The best thing to do here is call 911." When 911 is called from a cell phone, regardless of which company provides the service, the call is routed to the 911 dispatch office closest to the cell tower that picks up and transmits the call. There is some good advice in the circulating e-mail tale, Anglada said. The woman rightfully questioned if the car following her was a legitimate police vehicle, she remained in her car and she called for police assistance. For drivers who find themselves in a similar situation, Anglada advises: Turn on the interior light of your vehicle to let the person in the car following know that you are aware of the vehicle's presence, and motion that you do intend to pull over; If you have a cell phone, call 911, report your location and suspicions and follow the dispatcher's instructions. Otherwise, slow down but keep driving until you find a well-lit public area to stop. Do not get out of the vehicle; If the suspicious driver of the other vehicle gets out to talk to you, make sure your doors are locked. Roll the window down just enough to converse. If that person isn't wearing a police uniform, even if he or she produces identification, request that a marked police car and a uniformed officer be sent to the location. Under New Mexico state statute, Anglada said, a police officer must be in uniform to write a ticket. Consequently, a non-uniformed officer in an unmarked car wouldn't normally make a traffic stop unless it's to stop a drunken driver who is putting the public in immediate danger, or unless he comes upon a known felon. Important numbers Among the useful phone numbers that can be programmed into a cell phone are the 911 emergency number, and the Albuquerque Police Department's nonemergency 242-COPS. State Police dispatch numbers include: Albuquerque, 841-9256; Santa Fe, 827-9300; Espanola, 753-2277; Las Vegas, 425-6771; Socorro, 835-0741; Las Cruces, 524-6111; Tucumcari, 461-3300; Gallup, 863-9353. Copyright (c) 2007, Albuquerque Journal, N.M. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |