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ADNews-Monrovia, Liberia: Crime Watch Liberia, a radio night show program that responds to emergencies and updates the national security on communities’ activities, is calling on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to support the introduction of an appropriate legal framework to deter individuals from providing false and misleading emergency information to the Crime Watch Liberia Program, particularly during nighttime operations.
The program says repeated hoax reports are placing unnecessary pressure on government institutions, including the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS), which respond to emergency alerts relayed by the program.
According to Zeze Ballah, the Chief Executive Officer of Crime Watch Liberia, some callers report incidents that require urgent police or fire service intervention noting but responding officers and firefighters arrive at the reported locations without finding the emergencies described.
Ballah argues that such incidents waste valuable government resources, expose emergency responders to unnecessary risks, and can delay assistance to people facing genuine emergencies.
Latest Hoax Accident Report Triggers Police Response
Ballah explained that the latest reported incident occurred at approximately 2:34 a.m. on Monday, September 21, 2026, when an individual contacted Crime Watch Liberia and claimed that a vehicle had struck a motorcyclist around the 12th Street area in Sinkor, Monrovia.
“The caller reportedly informed the program that the motorcyclist was lying on the ground, bleeding, and in need of immediate police intervention,” Ballah narrated.
Following the report, Ballah said Crime Watch Liberia immediately contacted the Liberia National Police to request an emergency response, adding “while police officers were reportedly en route to the location, private security personnel monitoring the Crime Watch Liberia Program also proceeded to the area to investigate the situation”.
However, he said the responding security personnel reportedly found no accident or injured motorcyclist at the scene, stressing “the caller immediately switched off his phone shortly afterward”.
However, Ballah emphasized that the incident highlights the potential consequences of unverified emergency reports and the need for stronger measures to identify individuals who deliberately mislead emergency response institutions.
False Armed Robbery Reports Also Reported
The Crime Watch Liberia Chief Executive Officer further says some callers have reported that community residents were under attack by armed robbers, leading to emergency intervention efforts. In certain cases, he said the reports turned out to be false.
Ballah indicated that such incidents are particularly concerning because they can divert police officers and other responders from genuine emergencies.
False Fire Reports Also Raise Concerns
Beyond false accident reports, Ballah mentioned that Crime Watch Liberia has received several calls concerning purported fire outbreaks in communities and other locations.
Ballah maintained that, in some instances, Crime Watch Liberia contacted the Liberia National Fire Service, resulting in the dispatch of fire trucks. Upon arrival the reported fires were not found.
“These incidents place unnecessary demands on fire service personnel, vehicles, fuel, and other emergency resources that could otherwise be used to respond to actual emergencies,” he stressed.
The Crime Watch Liberia Chief Executive also claimed that some false reports have originated from individuals calling from the Monrovia Central Prison, where they provided misleading emergency information that prompted police and fire service responses without any confirmed incident.
False Emergency Calls Involving Pregnant Women
Ballah also said that several individuals have also contacted the nighttime program claiming that pregnant women were in labor and urgently needed transportation and medical assistance.
According to him, the absence of a dedicated Crime Watch Liberia Night Ambulance has forced the organization to rely on the goodwill of individuals, including private and commercial vehicle operators, to respond to emergency situations.
He has however said that some callers have provided misleading information about pregnant women needing urgent assistance, prompting vehicles to be dispatched to reported locations without finding the emergencies described.
Ballah said Crime Watch Liberia, a nonprofit organization does not have a dedicated budget for emergency responses and depends largely on public support to assist individuals during nighttime emergencies.
“The organization warns that false reports place unnecessary pressure on the limited resources available to support those in need,” he said.
Concerns Over Limited Police And Fire Service Resources
Ballah also points to longstanding calls by the Liberia National Police and Liberia National Fire Service for increased budgetary allocations to strengthen their operations and emergency response capabilities and argues that when individuals deliberately provide false emergency information, they contribute to the unnecessary use of already limited government resources.
Call For Government-GSM Companies Collaboration
Ballah is urging the government to work with GSM telecommunications companies operating in Liberia to strengthen customer registration and lawful emergency-call tracing mechanisms, adding “the program proposes that, where individuals deliberately provide false emergency information, their telephone numbers and locations could be traced through proper legal procedures and the relevant information referred to the Liberia National Police for investigation and prompt action”.
He emphasized that any such system should operate within applicable privacy protections, legal safeguards, and due process.
Crime Watch Liberia’s Appeal To President Boakai
Ballah is calling on President Joseph Boakai and relevant government institutions to consider measures that would establish appropriate penalties for deliberate false emergency reporting, strengthen coordination between Crime Watch Liberia, the Liberia National Police, and the Liberia National Fire Service, develop lawful mechanisms for tracing and investigating hoax emergency callers, promote public awareness about the serious consequences of misusing emergency response services and protect government resources and ensure emergency responders can prioritize genuine incidents.
“Crime Watch Liberia is therefore calling on the Boakai administration to consider measures that would deter hoax emergency calls while strengthening coordination among the government, GSM companies, law enforcement agencies, and the organization,” he said.
The organization maintains that every emergency response matters, and limited resources should be protected for people who genuinely need urgent assistance.
Ballah further maintains that emergency calls should be treated with seriousness and responsibility. False reports can consume resources, divert emergency personnel, and potentially prevent timely assistance to individuals whose lives may be at risk.
The program is therefore urging the government, GSM companies, law enforcement agencies, and the public to work together to address the problem while ensuring that legitimate callers can continue reporting emergencies without fear or unnecessary barriers.
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