TYLER, Texas — The Tyler Police Department is alerting citizens to be aware of a caller ID spoofing of the emergency number 911.
Caller ID spoofing allows someone to display a different phone number than the actual number from which the call is placed.
If you get a call that displays “911” on the caller ID, it's not from the Tyler Police Department.
Police say when their dispatchers call someone it does not show up on the caller ID as “911”.
If you need to speak to a dispatcher you can call the Tyler PD non-emergency line at 903-531-1000. 911 is to be used for emergencies only.
Tyler PD says calling 911 to verify the validity of the call slows down their 911 operators.
"The people are calling back on 911, which is tying up our emergency dispatchers from actually getting emergency calls," TPD Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh said. "Then the people are frantic, they don't know what's going on, and are worried that for some reason the police department is calling them."
Erbaugh says the best thing to do is ignore calls from a 911 number, and call the TPD non-emergency number with any questions.