Thanks for s terrific tip.  i will be sure to pass this on to my wife, daughters, etc !

http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/fakecop.asp

Please check out the link  *77 does not work.  Urban Legend

I never knew about *77.  I wonder why someone doesn't make this information public?

Linda,

A terrific tip!  Many thanks.  I'll be spreading this around my sphere.

Bill, thanks for passing it along.

Leesa thanks for the heads up I recommend that everyone check out you link and then check with their district to see if this will work or not. 

Brian, not sure but in light of all the abductions and the creep who was sending emails to a few of the females here on AR I am passing along all kinds of safety tips today.

Vance that is terrific, be sure to check out the link that Leesa provided the *77 might be different in your area.

Linda, I have tried the number and it does not work from cell numbers. But hey, good story.

Linda - While the advice to not pull over unless you've verified the individual pulling you over is truly a police officer is sound advice, as a police officer's wife, it is inaccurate to say that dialing *77 will connect a cell phone caller to police in all situations.  For instance, Leesa Finley's link to Snopes shows several instances where this number does not work.  In Virginia, the number to dial is #77 to get state police.  911 calls sometimes end up from a signal to a tower to a far away city or county and the dispatcher can't help unless you know your location.

Until the FCC resolves the issue (which they are apparently in the process of doing) these are tips they recommend:

Tips for 911 Calling

The FCC's 911 rules for wireless service providers continue to be implemented. In addition, cities and states must update their PSAPs to receive caller identification and location information. Therefore, consumers that call 911 from a wireless phone should remember the following:

• Tell the emergency operator the location of the emergency right away.

• Give the emergency operator your wireless phone number so that, if the call gets disconnected, the operator can call you back.

• If your wireless phone is not "initialized" (meaning you do not have a contract for service with a wireless service provider), you may still call 911, but if your emergency call gets disconnected, you must call the emergency operator back because the operator does not have your telephone number and cannot contact you.

• To help public safety personnel allocate emergency resources, learn and use the designated number in your state for highway accidents or other non life-threatening incidents. Often, states reserve specific numbers for these types of incidents. For example, "#77" is the number used for highway accidents in Virginia. The number to call for non life-threatening incidents in your state can be found in the front of your phone book.

• Refrain from programming your phone to automatically dial 911 when one button, such as the "9" key, is pressed. Unintentional wireless 911 calls, which often occur when auto-dial keys are inadvertently pressed, cause problems for emergency call centers.

• If your wireless phone came pre-programmed with the auto-dial 911 feature already turned on, turn off this feature. Check your user manual to find out how.

• Lock your keypad when you're not using your wireless phone. This action also prevents accidental calls to 911.

 Hope this helps and stay safe out there!

Wow Linda! I'm so glad she knew what to do. And thanks to you I know what to do. Great Post.

Thanks Danny, Irene and Christina.  Like I said check your local area or just have 911 on your speed dial.

Linda-Good story, and good info....I think I have heard this before.  Now it will be intereting to see if it really works, as some here say it won't from the cell.

Thanks Kathy and I guess the point is find out what works in your area and have it on speed dial wether it be *77 or 911

Thank You!!!!!  I never knew about *77 either.  That could be a life saver.  It is shocking how easily anyone can purchase a fake police badge these days.  I was playing on Ebay and saw FBI badges for sale and they look exactly like the real thing.

Linda, EXCELLENT thread and so glad to see it is featured.  I have never ehard about *77 abd I really appreciate the info.  We were just talking about this at my office.  An agent I was talking to told me about how someone tried to pull over her friend at 11 p.m. on I-75 and the friend was like "NO WAY!".  She pulled off to a gas station at the next exit, and the cop was upset with her (a REAL cop), but she defended herself by saying she felt unsafe.  He was also trying to pull her over on an overpass bridge, which is even scarier! 

Thanks again for the info.  I will definitely remember this and will pass it along to my co-workers and friends.

Does that work everywhere? What a story, glad she made it and that the police came to investigate this *77 call.

Thank's Linda.

Mary, it does work in most of the US.

Always dial 911 if you don't know what else to do.

Linda,

I flagged this as a feature, this is so important to us as Realtor's and the general public.

Great post!

Thanks,

Karen