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Annoying, harassing, hang-up, or
obscene telephone calls are becoming more and more commonplace today
even with advanced technology in communications, such as Caller ID
with name, Call Trace *57, Call Blocking *67, Line Blocking *82,
Repeat Dialing *66 and Return Dialing *69. Today, we're able to
trace a phone call back to the caller by pressing a couple of
buttons on your telephone. This is an excellent tool for the
homeowner and law enforcement to identify the caller.
These types of
calls are evident in bad relationships, the breakup of a
relationship, a disgruntled employee, unhappy customer, a neighbor
and the like. The caller has a sole purpose to annoy or harass.
There is a solution and these types of calls can be stopped.
In
Massachusetts, MA General Law c. 269 s. 14A is the chapter and
section that one can be charged with for annoying or obscene
telephone calls. There are 3 elements to the law that must be met.
The person repeatedly made telephone calls or caused telephone calls
to be made (at least 3 calls), to the victim or the victim's family
and the person's language was indecent or obscene, or the person's
sole purpose was to harass or molest the victim or the victim's
family. Penalty: Misdemeanor.
SOME INITIAL STEPS TO TAKE
Call Trace is
an effective way of combating annoying, threatening and harassing
phone calls. The only calls you should trace are those which are
considered life threatening or harassing to the point at which you
are willing to press criminal charges. Using the switching power of
the Verizon network, you can accomplish on your own what used to
require complicated intervention. Call Trace will trace a
bothersome call, record your number and the number of the caller,
then forward the information to the Verizon Unlawful Call Center.
You will not receive the telephone number of the person who called.
This information will be retrieved and held by the Unlawful Call
Center. This traced information will only be released to legally
empowered authorities. You should make a note of the date and time
of the call that you traced as a reference when you follow up with
the Verizon Unlawful Call Center and the Harwich Police Department.
TRACING PHONE CALLS
Verizon
provides the following service that helps put an end to annoying and
obscene phone calls by tracing the last incoming call. It provides
essential information to authorities if an investigation is
required. (There is a fee for tracing phone calls)
When
you want to trace a phone call;
1. Hang up
then lift the receiver and listen for a dial tone.
2. Press *57 or
for rotary phone dial 1157.
3. An
announcement will tell you the call was traced and give you further
instructions.
You will not
receive the number from Verizon. The results of a successful trace
will only be provided to the police or other legal authorities.
How do I
find out who's making the phone calls?
The
Harwich Police Department will investigate annoying phone calls
within Harwich only. If you're getting these phone calls it is
requested that you call the Verizon Unlawful Call Center, (formerly
the Unlawful Call Bureau) and open up a case. The Unlawful Call
Center will provide you with further instructions. The Phone Company
will not provide the police with any information until you have
opened a case with them, unless it is an extreme emergency.
Next, contact
the Harwich Police Department and speak to a police officer advising
that you would like to file a complaint regarding annoying phone
calls. After providing the officer with your information, obtain the
POLICE CASE NUMBER. You may need this case number for the Phone
Company.
If you have
successfully traced 3 or more phone calls you will be notified. When
you're notified by the phone company call the Harwich Police, and
give the officer the case number provided to you by the UCC. An
officer will contact the UCC and they will provide the officer with
the information on all calls traced. The information provided would
be the telephone number, the address where the call was placed from,
and the person's name the phone number is listed to. The UCC will
send the investigating police officer a report and the list of
numbers traced.
The
officer will contact you (victim/reporting party) and tell you the
date and time of the call, the address where the call originates
from and who the phone number belongs to. If, after hearing the
person's name and address, further investigation is needed the
officer will assist you.
Many times,
once a parent or the reporting party hears the name and address,
they wish to handle the problem themselves without police
involvement. And this may be a better solution depending on the
situation.
Once you close
a case with the UCC and the calls persist, you must call them again
to open up another case.
SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES
No conversation
is necessary. It does not matter whether the person had a
conversation with the victim, only that the person made the
telephone calls or had them made.
It
must be proved that the person's only purpose was to annoy, harass
or molest, unless the person used obscene language. If a person
makes repeated telephone calls in a short period of time, or in the
middle of the night, and hangs up when someone answers the phone, it
is reasonable to infer that the calls were made for the purpose of
harassment.
Call
800-518-5507 or contact your local phone company for the Verizon
Unlawful Call Center office in your area at 1-877-TRACE4U
(1-877-872-2348).
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