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Can I call 112 to check a police officer's identity in the Czech Republic?

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9

1

I'm travelling from the UK to the Czech Republic soon.

The UK foreign travel advice for the Czech Republic includes the following (bold emphasis is mine):

Beware of bogus plain-clothes policemen, who may ask to see your foreign currency and passport. If approached, don’t show your money, but offer instead to go with them to the nearest police station. If you suspect that you are dealing with a bogus police officer, you can call 158 or 112 to check their identity. No police officer in the Czech Republic has the right to check your money or its authenticity.

It is my understanding that 112 is an emergency number and checking a police officer's identity doesn't seem like an emergency. Is it acceptable to call 112 in this situation?

czech-republic officials

share|improve this question

asked 9 hours ago

LJD200LJD200

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LJD200 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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• 
  
  
  

  
  6
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Theoretically, being scammed is an emergency. Because you could end up losing all your money/valuables, which is theft. If someone is being robbed here in the US, we call 911 as it's an emergency. I'd rather call than worry about if I should call or not.
  
  – TravelLikeBeaker
  9 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  The very likely reason why 112 is given is the fact that this number is universally valid in all European countries, for line and cell phones alike. That's incidentially the case anyway in e.g. Germany or Netherlands, but in many other countries the "traditional" number such as 158 in this case is... whatever, something. Such as e.g. it would be 17 in France, 113 in Italy, and 117 in Liechtenstein. Or 93 in some part of former Jugoslavia. Which, frankly, no traveller can remember, being such a mess. 112 on the other hand "just works".
  
  – Damon
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

9

1

I'm travelling from the UK to the Czech Republic soon.

The UK foreign travel advice for the Czech Republic includes the following (bold emphasis is mine):

Beware of bogus plain-clothes policemen, who may ask to see your foreign currency and passport. If approached, don’t show your money, but offer instead to go with them to the nearest police station. If you suspect that you are dealing with a bogus police officer, you can call 158 or 112 to check their identity. No police officer in the Czech Republic has the right to check your money or its authenticity.

It is my understanding that 112 is an emergency number and checking a police officer's identity doesn't seem like an emergency. Is it acceptable to call 112 in this situation?

czech-republic officials

share|improve this question

asked 9 hours ago

LJD200LJD200

14844 bronze badges

New contributor

LJD200 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

• 
  
  
  

  
  6
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Theoretically, being scammed is an emergency. Because you could end up losing all your money/valuables, which is theft. If someone is being robbed here in the US, we call 911 as it's an emergency. I'd rather call than worry about if I should call or not.
  
  – TravelLikeBeaker
  9 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  The very likely reason why 112 is given is the fact that this number is universally valid in all European countries, for line and cell phones alike. That's incidentially the case anyway in e.g. Germany or Netherlands, but in many other countries the "traditional" number such as 158 in this case is... whatever, something. Such as e.g. it would be 17 in France, 113 in Italy, and 117 in Liechtenstein. Or 93 in some part of former Jugoslavia. Which, frankly, no traveller can remember, being such a mess. 112 on the other hand "just works".
  
  – Damon
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

I'm travelling from the UK to the Czech Republic soon.

The UK foreign travel advice for the Czech Republic includes the following (bold emphasis is mine):

Beware of bogus plain-clothes policemen, who may ask to see your foreign currency and passport. If approached, don’t show your money, but offer instead to go with them to the nearest police station. If you suspect that you are dealing with a bogus police officer, you can call 158 or 112 to check their identity. No police officer in the Czech Republic has the right to check your money or its authenticity.

It is my understanding that 112 is an emergency number and checking a police officer's identity doesn't seem like an emergency. Is it acceptable to call 112 in this situation?

czech-republic officials

share|improve this question

asked 9 hours ago

LJD200LJD200

14844 bronze badges

New contributor

LJD200 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

asked 9 hours ago

LJD200LJD200

14844 bronze badges

New contributor

LJD200 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

asked 9 hours ago

LJD200LJD200

14844 bronze badges

New contributor

LJD200 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 9 hours ago

LJD200LJD200

14844 bronze badges

New contributor

LJD200 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 9 hours ago

LJD200LJD200

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1 Answer
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11

Yes, but might be better to call 158.

Pretending to be a police officer is a crime (at least in Czechia). If you suspect a crime, you're expected to call the police. Obviously, if you suspect that the guy standing next to you is a fake policeman, your property or health may be in imminent danger, so you're perfectly entitled to call the emergency number.

That said, the main emergency number for the police is 158, so it's better to call that directly. 112 is an alternative number that connects you to the central emergency dispatch (actually operated by the fire department), which will in turn connect you to either the police (158), the fire department (150), or the ambulance (155), as appropriate. The result will be the same, but going through 112 will take somewhat longer.

However, unlike line 112, the national emergency numbers (150/155/156/158) don't guarantee English-speaking operators. If the operator doesn't speak English, you'll be simply connected to line 112. (According to the police spokeswoman, in Czech.)

share|improve this answer

edited 8 hours ago

answered 9 hours ago

TooTeaTooTea

2,03777 silver badges1616 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thank you - that makes perfect sense. Does 158 guarantee English-speaking operators like 112 does? I'm learning some Czech but not enough to communicate well in an emergency
  
  – LJD200
  9 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @LJD200 Good point. No, they're not guaranteed to speak English (unlike 112), but if they don't, they will just connect you to 112 to take care of you.
  
  – TooTea
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @TooTea would you then be redirected to 158 after speaking with 112? I.e. does this mean if you call 112 and speak the local language they redirect you to 158 and when you speak English they will not redirect you and deal with you on that line? Otherwise, it becomes catch-22 where you call the dispatch on 112, they identify you need the police and forward the call to 158 who then identify you don't speak the language and forward to 112...
  
  – kiradotee
  7 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @kiradotee I don't think it's that bad. In the linked Czech article, the spokeswoman for the emergency medical services says that "if the caller doesn't speak Czech, the operators of the line 112 help us in a conference call". I guess the police works the same way, so you end up in a three-way conference call with the police officer and a 112 operator, with the latter helping out as a translator. I don't have any experience though (and I'm not going to try calling 158 and pretending not to speak Czech just to find out).
  
  – TooTea
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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11

Yes, but might be better to call 158.

Pretending to be a police officer is a crime (at least in Czechia). If you suspect a crime, you're expected to call the police. Obviously, if you suspect that the guy standing next to you is a fake policeman, your property or health may be in imminent danger, so you're perfectly entitled to call the emergency number.

That said, the main emergency number for the police is 158, so it's better to call that directly. 112 is an alternative number that connects you to the central emergency dispatch (actually operated by the fire department), which will in turn connect you to either the police (158), the fire department (150), or the ambulance (155), as appropriate. The result will be the same, but going through 112 will take somewhat longer.

However, unlike line 112, the national emergency numbers (150/155/156/158) don't guarantee English-speaking operators. If the operator doesn't speak English, you'll be simply connected to line 112. (According to the police spokeswoman, in Czech.)

share|improve this answer

edited 8 hours ago

answered 9 hours ago

TooTeaTooTea

2,03777 silver badges1616 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thank you - that makes perfect sense. Does 158 guarantee English-speaking operators like 112 does? I'm learning some Czech but not enough to communicate well in an emergency
  
  – LJD200
  9 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @LJD200 Good point. No, they're not guaranteed to speak English (unlike 112), but if they don't, they will just connect you to 112 to take care of you.
  
  – TooTea
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @TooTea would you then be redirected to 158 after speaking with 112? I.e. does this mean if you call 112 and speak the local language they redirect you to 158 and when you speak English they will not redirect you and deal with you on that line? Otherwise, it becomes catch-22 where you call the dispatch on 112, they identify you need the police and forward the call to 158 who then identify you don't speak the language and forward to 112...
  
  – kiradotee
  7 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @kiradotee I don't think it's that bad. In the linked Czech article, the spokeswoman for the emergency medical services says that "if the caller doesn't speak Czech, the operators of the line 112 help us in a conference call". I guess the police works the same way, so you end up in a three-way conference call with the police officer and a 112 operator, with the latter helping out as a translator. I don't have any experience though (and I'm not going to try calling 158 and pretending not to speak Czech just to find out).
  
  – TooTea
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

11

Yes, but might be better to call 158.

Pretending to be a police officer is a crime (at least in Czechia). If you suspect a crime, you're expected to call the police. Obviously, if you suspect that the guy standing next to you is a fake policeman, your property or health may be in imminent danger, so you're perfectly entitled to call the emergency number.

That said, the main emergency number for the police is 158, so it's better to call that directly. 112 is an alternative number that connects you to the central emergency dispatch (actually operated by the fire department), which will in turn connect you to either the police (158), the fire department (150), or the ambulance (155), as appropriate. The result will be the same, but going through 112 will take somewhat longer.

However, unlike line 112, the national emergency numbers (150/155/156/158) don't guarantee English-speaking operators. If the operator doesn't speak English, you'll be simply connected to line 112. (According to the police spokeswoman, in Czech.)

share|improve this answer

edited 8 hours ago

answered 9 hours ago

TooTeaTooTea

2,03777 silver badges1616 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thank you - that makes perfect sense. Does 158 guarantee English-speaking operators like 112 does? I'm learning some Czech but not enough to communicate well in an emergency
  
  – LJD200
  9 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @LJD200 Good point. No, they're not guaranteed to speak English (unlike 112), but if they don't, they will just connect you to 112 to take care of you.
  
  – TooTea
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @TooTea would you then be redirected to 158 after speaking with 112? I.e. does this mean if you call 112 and speak the local language they redirect you to 158 and when you speak English they will not redirect you and deal with you on that line? Otherwise, it becomes catch-22 where you call the dispatch on 112, they identify you need the police and forward the call to 158 who then identify you don't speak the language and forward to 112...
  
  – kiradotee
  7 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @kiradotee I don't think it's that bad. In the linked Czech article, the spokeswoman for the emergency medical services says that "if the caller doesn't speak Czech, the operators of the line 112 help us in a conference call". I guess the police works the same way, so you end up in a three-way conference call with the police officer and a 112 operator, with the latter helping out as a translator. I don't have any experience though (and I'm not going to try calling 158 and pretending not to speak Czech just to find out).
  
  – TooTea
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

Yes, but might be better to call 158.

Pretending to be a police officer is a crime (at least in Czechia). If you suspect a crime, you're expected to call the police. Obviously, if you suspect that the guy standing next to you is a fake policeman, your property or health may be in imminent danger, so you're perfectly entitled to call the emergency number.

That said, the main emergency number for the police is 158, so it's better to call that directly. 112 is an alternative number that connects you to the central emergency dispatch (actually operated by the fire department), which will in turn connect you to either the police (158), the fire department (150), or the ambulance (155), as appropriate. The result will be the same, but going through 112 will take somewhat longer.

However, unlike line 112, the national emergency numbers (150/155/156/158) don't guarantee English-speaking operators. If the operator doesn't speak English, you'll be simply connected to line 112. (According to the police spokeswoman, in Czech.)

share|improve this answer

edited 8 hours ago

answered 9 hours ago

TooTeaTooTea

2,03777 silver badges1616 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

edited 8 hours ago

answered 9 hours ago

TooTeaTooTea

2,03777 silver badges1616 bronze badges

answered 9 hours ago

TooTeaTooTea

2,03777 silver badges1616 bronze badges

answered 9 hours ago

TooTeaTooTea

2,03777 silver badges1616 bronze badges