Starting on October 16, Burnaby residents will experience significantly shorter wait times when calling Burnaby RCMP’s non-emergency line, as the City launches a Burnaby-based Non-Emergency Call Centre.
While residents should always dial 911 for police, fire, or medical emergencies when immediate action is required, the non-emergency line (604-646-9999) is used for residents who require police assistance in a non-urgent situation (for example, when reporting theft or vandalism).
“Burnaby residents shouldn’t have to spend their time waiting on hold when trying to report crime through the non-emergency line,” said Mayor Mike Hurley. “By bringing this service to the Burnaby RCMP Detachment, residents can be assured their calls will be answered promptly and professionally.”
The new call centre launched on October 16, with City staff responding to calls from residents from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm—when most non-emergency calls in Burnaby are made. The new service is expected to lead to an immediate reduction to wait times for callers.
Prior to the launch of Burnaby’s new call centre, both emergency and non-emergency calls went through E-Comm, the 911 service and dispatch agency that serves many communities across Metro Vancouver and British Columbia. Callers to E-Comm’s non-emergency line for Burnaby frequently encountered excessive wait times, according to data from E-Comm. In 2022, an estimated 21,731 calls to the non-emergency line were abandoned – which is more than half of all non-emergency calls received.
While E-Comm will continue to handle Burnaby’s non-emergency calls outside of peak hours and over the weekends, the City plans to expand the service hours of the Burnaby Non-Emergency Call Centre by adding additional staff when possible.
Media Contact:
Chris Bryan
Manager, Public Affairs
Public Affairs Office
604-570-3616 | [email protected]