Concord Forest Birth 911 Text Deemed A Hoax; Interim Police Chief Warns Against ‘Malicious’ Reports

CONCORD, NH — Concord police are investigating a hoax text sent to 911 about a homeless camp birth while the city’s interim police chief says such fake reports can put police and the public in danger.

Just before 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, police and fire and rescue teams were sent to the area of Little Pond Road and Via Tranquilla for a report of a woman giving birth. The baby, the report stated, was coming out, and the woman needed immediate assistance. The report, which came via 911 text, said the woman was near the western entrance to the Walker Street Forest.

A second 911 report said the woman was in the middle of the forest, according to dispatch.

Concord firefighters and police arrived in the area but did not see any vehicles or anyone near the forest entrance. Hearing the call, two New Hampshire State Police troopers also arrived. Dispatch was asked if there was any vehicle information connected to the report, and they said there was not.

“We’re doing the best we can,” a dispatcher said, “but we don’t have any more for you.”

Fire dispatch said the texter reported the baby was being born in the middle of the state forest.

“They cannot see the road from where they are,” dispatch said.

As they tried to figure out a way to reach the parties, the dispatcher said, “If anyone has any other ideas, shoot them this way.”

Suggestions included asking the texter to send a pin or something else on an online map so officers could find them.

Officers and firefighters searched the forest but found no one.

The firefighters activated the sirens on the trucks to get the texter to respond to the noise, to no avail. They also tried entering from the Thackery Road side to see if the woman was deep in the forest, but she was not found.

Another officer, who often works in that sector of the city, checked with dispatch to confirm the woman was in the state forest rather than the homeless camp off the quarry entrance on Little Pond Road. Dispatch said the texter said 133 Little Pond Road, which is Walker State Forest, according to scanner chatter. The reporting party gave the woman’s name and said she was 21, according to dispatch.

Other officers searched the area, checking Via Tranquilla, Marjory Swope Park, Long Pond Road, and Thackary Road, but found no one. Dispatch also checked in with Concord Hospital, but they had no admissions matching the woman’s name or description.

Around 11:45 p.m., officers discussed calling in a K-9 unit to search the area.

Just before midnight, questions arose about whether the call was legitimate.

Around 12:15 a.m., firefighters reported to dispatch that they saw no sign of a woman giving birth and no sign of a homeless camp in the forest.

The search ended later and was deemed a malicious false alarm.

Interim Police Chief Barrett Moulton said investigators would look into the incident, as they do with as many false reports or complaints as they can. Some, though, he admitted, are more challenging than others because of how police receive information.

“Technology can be a challenge for us in looking into these (incidents) due to so many avenues (now) to file reports,” he said.

Often, Moulton said, computers need to be subpoenaed. “Depending upon the severity,” this process can be difficult. In other cases, like fake school shootings or other emergency situations, “We’ll definitely look at those,” exhausting every avenue to find the fake callers or texters.

Moulton said it was also important for the public to know that some of these fake calls lead to tragic endings, like swatting and incidents that put officers in harm’s way. Police, he noted, have a strict policy on pursuits to ensure officer safety.

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