Non-Emergency Phone Lines Cut After Illinois Suburb Didn't Pay Bills

Non-emergency police and fire numbers in the Chicago suburb of Harvey were disconnected for three days last month after city officials failed to pay bills.

The Daily Southtown reports that residents who tried to call the non-emergency numbers got a dead phone line. That's because Harvey officials say they were unaware of one of the city's many telephone service providers and had over $14,000 in unpaid charges.

The provider, Access One, disconnected about 15 city phone lines after sending a final notice and receiving no response. The disconnected lines included some used by the police and fire department.

The city's 911 service wasn't affected.

Police Chief Eddie Winters says he's not aware of any serious issues that weren't addressed because of the phone problem.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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