"EVERYBODY SHOULD READ THIS!!!!!!!!!WARNING: Some knew about the red light on cars, but not Dialing 112."
That's how a popular post on Facebook starts, and according to Northborough police Lt. Bill Lyver, that's more than people should bother reading. At least here in America.
The story goes that a young girl sees flashing police lights behind her while she's driving, but the car doesn't look like a normal police car.
The girl in the car, heeding her parents’ advice, called 112 on her cell phone and was supposedly connected to a dispatcher who checked the area and told her there were no police cars in the area. The dispatcher told the girl to keep driving because help was on the way.
"Ten minutes later four cop cars surrounded her and the unmarked car behind her. One policeman went to her side and the others surrounded the car behind. They pulled the guy from the car and tackled him to the ground. The man was a convicted rapist and wanted for other crimes."
Lyver reminds us that 112 and 999 are emergency numbers used in the UK and parts of Europe.
"I suppose it works if you're in England," said Lyver. "This is an old internet yarn. I’m not aware of anyone trying to use it to contact us."
While 112 is the emergency response number in Europe, many American cell and landline providers don't recognize the number and you will not get any response according to urbanlegends.about.com .
"These messages claim that dialing 112 on a cell phone will connect the caller to state or local police 'in all 50 states.' This is NOT true . Whether you're calling from a landline or a cell phone, 911 is still the only universal emergency number throughout the U.S." the about.com article says.
According to Holliston Police Chief John Moore, any officer in any police car will be identifiable.
"Any unmarked cruiser that makes a traffic stop usually tries to have a marked cruiser nearby as backup. Also, any police officer who approaches a vehicle needs to have his or her badge and name displayed on their outer garment,"
Still, if you don't feel safe Moore says it is OK to call the local police department.
"Any legitimate police officer will not have a problem with the short delay that may result in the confirmation," he said.
If you find yourself in any emergency be sure to dial 911 immediately.