A woman in Nova Scotia expressed regret for alerting the RCMP about a reckless driver, leading to an unexpected situation where an officer entered her residence without her awareness. Robin MacDougall was traveling from Antigonish, N.S., to Port Hawkesbury on Highway 104 in June to mark Father’s Day with her parents when she observed a vehicle swerving on the road, alternating between slowing down and speeding up.
Following the sighting, MacDougall dialed 911, and upon completing the call, the dispatcher advised her to contact them again if she or the erratic driver exited the highway. Less than ten minutes later, before reaching the Port Hawkesbury exit, MacDougall made another call informing the dispatcher that the erratic driver was heading towards Cape Breton.
Assuming the issue was no longer her concern, MacDougall was surprised to receive a call from an RCMP officer while having lunch with her parents, informing her that there had been a misunderstanding, and they had been inside her house. MacDougall and her partner, who was working at the time, had not locked their back door, allowing the officer to enter.
Feeling her privacy was violated, MacDougall was uncertain how to proceed if faced with a similar situation in the future. However, Staff Sgt. Kimberly Hillier of the Antigonish RCMP detachment defended the officers’ actions, stating that another call from MacDougall had been disconnected, leading to the dispatch of an officer to her residence.
Hillier clarified that the officers were responding to separate matters related to ensuring someone’s safety rather than investigating an impaired driver at the residence. A dispute arose between MacDougall and Hillier regarding whether a call had been dropped, with MacDougall citing poor cell coverage in Eastern Nova Scotia as a potential reason for missed calls.
Despite the disagreement, Hillier emphasized that the RCMP had a duty to investigate potential emergencies following a dropped 911 call, as outlined by the Supreme Court of Canada in a 1999 decision. MacDougall stressed that she did not make a third call between the initial disconnected call and subsequent attempts, supported by her call log from the cellular provider.
The incident has raised concerns about privacy and communication issues, prompting MacDougall to question future actions in similar circumstances.