Son makes pancakes too late at night, and other ridiculous calls to Kelowna RCMP

Kelowna RCMP wants people to remember that 911 is for emergencies, since there were lots of people who forgot in 2025.

RCMP have released a few of its real and unusual, local calls made to 911 last year.

Someone made a report to Kelowna RCMP that a suspicious driver was on Highway 97 dressed as a ghost with a sheet over their head and sunglasses on. Police told them it wasn’t Halloween.

Another caller wanted police to come to his house and talk to his son about making pancakes at 11 p.m., and while that could be considered rude, it isn’t a crime.

When a Kelowna business noticed there was a theft from one of their vending machines, they called police. RCMP discovered the thief was an employee’s dog and paws don’t fit in handcuffs.

A caller reported hearing someone screaming in distress, but it was actually a squeaking sound made by a family member squeegeeing the shower.

Kelowna RCMP weren’t alone in receiving calls that weren’t emergencies. BC’s 911 dispatcher E-Comm also released a list of the most unusual calls taken last year.

A person called police because their dishwasher broke, someone else needed a hornet removed from their apartment and another because someone was unhappy with their haircut.

There were other calls to 911 because someone parked a non-electric car in an electric vehicle charging station, or they were locked out of their Airbnb or just to complain about traffic.

E-Comm topped its list with a call from someone who was mad that their luggage exceeded a flight’s carry-on limit and another from someone who was upset that a store wouldn’t let them return an air fryer.

E-Comm said that most people use 911 responsibly, but non-emergency calls tie up its limited resources.

— With files from The Canadian Press.