The 10111 police emergency number is broken in the Western Cape, said the DA – which has outlined how the public can help fix it.<\/p>\n
The Western Cape 10111 call service receives almost one third of all of South Africa\u2019s 10111 emergency calls – approximately 1.2 million calls a year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile calls can be answered and recorded, the call scanner which tracks the number of calls to the centre and importantly the number of abandoned calls has been broken since 2013,\u201d the DA said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last available date for which information is available put the number of abandoned calls at 24%, equating to roughly 295,000 calls.\u201d<\/p>\n
Worryingly, the centre has also seen a decline in staff numbers.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccording to a 2009 Institute for Security Studies research report, the Western Cape call centre had a total of 196 staff members in 2009 – but at our latest visit, it had only 162 staff members,\u201d said the DA.<\/p>\n
The police told the provincial government in 2013 that the Western Cape was due to receive an upgrade to its\u00a010111 system that year. However, no upgrade materialised.<\/p>\n
The DA is now asking members of the public to share their experiences with 10111 on Twitter using the hashtag #WC10111, or via email to WCape10111@gmail.com.<\/p>\n
10111 police helpline: How long you will wait in an emergency<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The crime-fighting police car of the future<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n