When does prank calling stop being funny? The Jerky Boys might say when the royalties stop, and their fans might say "at age 12." But for one Inwood couple, the thrill has been gone for almost two years. Mamadou and Assetou Sy have had 155 visits from the NYPD and the FDNY on fake calls, sometimes twice a day. "We cannot understand how this could be happening," Mamadou tells the Daily News, "How can people play around with the Fire Department and the police like this?" Moe is one thing, but continually calling emergencies services is just wrong.
The calls concern false reports of injuries, gunshots, fires, and the city is obliged to respond. "We can never not go," a NYPD Deputy Inspector says. "We will always go." Tapes have been played for the couple to determine if they recognize the voice on the calls, but they couldn't. Though they are Muslim, they don't believe that has anything to do with it either. What is known is that the caller is wasting precious city resources. "False alarms draw units and resources from actual emergency calls and put the lives of those responding needlessly at risk, FDNY spokesman Frank Dwyer said.
After the Sys complained to the Housing Authority that controls their Dyckman House apartment, officials offered an emergency transfer, but the couple balked. "This is my home," Mamadou said. "We have a lot of memories here. We are not going anywhere."
