As far as I know, this is incorrect. The police dispatchers will deter you to the non-emergency number or tell you to call the appropriate resource instead. I think on the whole, it's better if people call 9-1-1 when in doubt than the other way around: If an actual danger is happening and you're too afraid to call 9-1-1., provided the municipality can afford the dispatchers. I tend to think that in most big cities and suburbs, the 9-1-1 call center can hold the call volume