Western Cape emergency line has a big hang-up

23 September 2015 - 02:28 By Aphiwe Deklerk

Police in the Western Cape cannot track how many calls they miss from distressed residents. For two years the 10111 emergency line's call scanner has been out of order.The chairman of the community safety portfolio committee, Mireille Wenger, revealed yesterday that they discovered the scanner was not working during an "oversight" visit about three weeks ago.This means police don't know how many calls they miss from distressed residents.Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel André Traut confirmed that the police scanner had not been working since 2013.Wenger explained that although police were able to answer and record calls, they were unable to count abandoned phone calls, an important factor in measuring the police delivery record.Traut said plans to replace the system were "at an advanced stage".Wenger said the Western Cape police emergency line received 1.2million calls a year.The latest available statistics showed that 295000 calls - almost 25% - were abandoned in 2012."As this service provides life or death responses, it is extremely important that it is running and functioning," she said.The call centre was nearly 20 years old and in need of an upgrade."It is simply inexcusable that fundamental equipment remains broken. Police officers and call centre staff are dealing with extraordinary volumes of calls and we should have enough manpower and good quality equipment to ensure that we can trust in an efficient emergency call service," she said...

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.