Life Threatening Calls

If you receive a phone call that is life threatening, immediately dial *57.

• Then call 911 and/or contact Campus Safety at (715)394-8114. 
  
  
• The Superior Police Department and/or Campus Safety will cite the person's responsible for making or involved with making any type of life threatening telephone call if they can be successfully determined, even if the victim does not wish to pursue the complaint. 
  
  
• The Superior Police Department or Campus Safety WILL NOT investigate a complaint to simply provide the victim with caller information.

 Coping with the Crank Phone Caller

1. Hang up. As soon as you hear an obscenity, improper questions, or no response to your first "hello?"
   
2. Don't talk to strangers. Be careful when the caller says he or she is taking a survey. If you have any concern about the legitimacy of the survey, ask the person for his or her name, firm name, and telephone number. Say that you will call back after you verify the authenticity of the survey.
   
3. Don't play detective. Don't extend the call trying to figure out who is calling. This or any type of reaction is exactly what the caller wants and needs.
   
4. Keep cool. Don't let the caller know you are upset or angry.
   
5. Don't try to be clever. A witty response may be interpreted as a sign of encouragement.
   
6. Don't try to be a counselor. The annoyance or obscene caller certainly needs professional help, but he or she will only be encouraged by your concern and will continue the inappropriate calls.
   
7. Don't tell everyone about your calls. Many calls of this type are actually made by friends, family members, even your closest girlfriends or boyfriends.
   
8. Place ads with caution. When placing an ad in a newspaper, use a newspaper or post office box number if possible. If you must use your phone number, do not list your address. Crank callers are avid readers of the classified ads.
   
9. Never volunteer your number to an unknown caller. This is an invitation to call you again. If your number is the wrong number, the caller does not need to know your number.
   
10. Report obscene or annoying calls to the UW - Superior Campus Safety Department at 606 Belknap Street or call (715)394-8114 so there is a record of them on file.
    
11. Contact UW-Superior Data Control and Information Technology Office at (715)394-8264 to make arrangements for a simple phone number change or an unlisted phone number change.
    

 Harassing Phone Calls

JUST HANG UP!

• Or make a log of the following: 
  
• • Date; Time; Type of Call: Threatening, Obscene, Nuisance; Caller: Male/Female, Young/Old; Voice: High/Low, Accent, Intoxicated, Nervous, Camouflaged, Other; Background Noises or Voices.

 Wrong Number Calls

• It is not unusual to receive numerous "wrong number" calls on campus.
• The caller who misdialed should be considerate enough to inform the person called of the wrong number rather than simply hanging up.
• A caller who simply hangs up the telephone without providing an explanation, may become a suspect in a nuisance telephone call complaint.

 Threatening Calls

Wisconsin Statute 947.012(1) states that whoever makes a telephone call with the intent to frighten, intimidate, threaten, abuse, or harass by:

• Threatening to inflict injury, physical harm, to any person or property;
• Uses any obscene, lewd, profane language, or suggests any lewd or lascivious act;
• Or makes a telephone call with the intent to abuse or threaten any person; is guilty of a Class B Misdemeanor.
• Immediately contact local law enforcement, by dialing 911, that has jurisdiction in the area that the call is received. 
• Be prepared to give them as much information as possible about the call and caller.

 How to Handle Annoying Calls

1. When answering your telephone, say "hello" twice, if there is no answer, hang-up.
   
   
2. Hang up immediately if something is said inappropriate, but avoid slamming the telephone.
   
   
3. Do not give any information out, until you know who you are speaking with.
   
   
4. Do not let the caller know you are upset or angry. Any sign of emotion may encourage the caller to continue.
   
   
5. Do not try to use humor, be clever, or attempt to counsel the caller.
   
   
6. Do not prolong the conversation by trying to gather information from the caller.
   
   
7. If possible, use your answering machine to tape harassing calls or screen incoming calls.
   
   
8. If all else fails, take your phone off the hook for a few hours and see if that resolves the problem

 Call Trace Procedures

CenturyLinkTM - Call Trace

Call trace allows a party to initiate an automatic trace of the last incoming call.  This is useful after receiving harassing or prank calls if you wish to pursue legal action.  There is a charge either to obtain or to use Call Trace services.

To use Call Trace:

Immediately after receiving a call that you wish to be traced, press and release the switchhook and listen for a dialtone.  Press *57.  If the trace was successful, you will hear an automated announcement, and you must stay on the line and follow the instructions provided.  The traced number will be stored at CenturyLink for approximately 7-10 days; however, CenturyLink will not release the information directly to you.  You must call your local law enforcement agency within seven days to begin the legal process of having law enforcement obtain the offending number from CenturyLink.

Note:

• If a Call Waiting tone is received during a call that is to be traced, tracing will occur on the Call Waiting call rather than the original calling number.