The Government is crafting legislation to address the issue of prank calls to the police’s 119 emergency number.

This, as the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) says approximately 85 per cent of calls to 119 are not police emergency matters.

Head of the JCF’s Emergency Communication Centre, Senior Superintendent Gary Francis told IRIE FM news that it is a serious matter, as persons who have legitimate emergencies may be bumped down the queue by prank callers.

Noting that the JCF sees an uptick in prank calls during after-school hours, SSP Francis is calling on parents, teachers and caregivers to educate children on the dangers of the practice.

He said the police will soon be armed with legislation to deal with the longstanding issue.