Calling the police emergency number 10111 is proving to be a futile exercise for many South Africans.
Across South Africa, 10111 call centres are in a state of crisis with little more than 40% of the ideal number of staff employed and more than seven million calls being dropped.
These shocking statistics – based on feedback from 2020 until present – were revealed by Police Minister Bheki Cele in response to a parliamentary question this week.
MP Andrew Whitfield, the DA spokesperson on police, said the 10111 call centres have been plunged into a crisis and he intends pressing SAPS bosses to come up with a plan to save the centres – and South African lives.
“The 10111 number is for any emergency that requires a police response, but more than seven million calls being dropped highlights that understaffed call centres are not even able to answer calls from South Africans under threat of violence by criminals,” he explained.
“These statistics do not provide the full picture of the inability of centres to assist callers.”
Over the past three years in the Western Cape, nearly 900 000 calls to the number were dropped. In Gauteng, this rose to a shocking 3.83 million.
“I will be writing to the chairperson of the portfolio committee on police to request that the national police commissioner prepare a comprehensive turnaround plan for 10111 centres across the country within 30 days to be tabled in Parliament when it reconvenes,” Whitfield said.
“With more police officers being recruited over the next three years, the SAPS is confident it will be able to bring staffing levels to required standards,” stated Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
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