Police handler saves woman with clever pizza code

A quick-thinking 999 call handler from the Metropolitan Police has been praised for her swift and ingenious response during an emergency disguised as a pizza order. The handler immediately suspected the caller, a woman in distress, was secretly seeking help. She quickly adapted her questions to ensure the caller could only reply with “yes” or “no.”

To avoid raising suspicion, the handler cleverly instructed the caller to say “pepperoni” if she was in immediate danger, and “cheese” if her children were also in peril. This code allowed the woman to signal her need for assistance without the attacker realizing.

The operator promptly dispatched a team to the scene while maintaining a short conversation to prevent anyone at the location from becoming suspicious. The call’s audio was later shared by the Met, with an actor voicing the caller’s lines, to demonstrate how to handle similar situations.

The police also issued guidelines on making silent emergency calls. They advise victims to quietly call 999 and try to speak if possible, even if it’s only a whisper. If the caller can’t speak, pressing 55 on a mobile phone will transfer the call to police, who can trace the location. For landline calls, background sounds will direct authorities to the caller.

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