In the other three provinces, the Free State, Limpopo and Northern Cape, data was not provided because “the call manager functionality to retrieve the statistics is outdated and SAPS is in the process of upgrading the software”.
Gauteng is most seriously affected. According to the statistics, in the past three years, 3.83-million calls have been dropped in Gauteng alone.
The department said dropped calls referred to abandoned calls that could not be answered, calls abandoned in 10 seconds which were terminated by the caller before the call could be transferred to a call-taker, calls abandoned more than 10 seconds before the call could be transferred, and calls terminated by the caller after being transferred to a call-taker to answer.
“The 10111 number is the only line of defence some of our people have as they struggle against the unrelenting tide of crime sweeping across South Africa. We cannot allow South Africans to be abandoned and become even more defenceless due to the inability of the police to respond to emergencies,” said the DA.
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EXPLAINED: Why 10111 may leave you hanging
Image: Elvis Ntombela
A staff shortage at the South African Police Service's (SAPS) 10111 call centres could leave many phone calls hanging.
SAPS, responding to a written parliamentary question by the DA, revealed 10111 call centres across the country only have about 40% of the staff needed and more than 6-million calls had been dropped.
The statistics are based on feedback for the financial years 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 and from April 1 2022 to date.
According to the SAPS, more than 6.3-million calls went unanswered in six of nine provinces that provided data over the past three years.
Dropped call statistics over the past three financial years:
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In the other three provinces, the Free State, Limpopo and Northern Cape, data was not provided because “the call manager functionality to retrieve the statistics is outdated and SAPS is in the process of upgrading the software”.
Gauteng is most seriously affected. According to the statistics, in the past three years, 3.83-million calls have been dropped in Gauteng alone.
The department said dropped calls referred to abandoned calls that could not be answered, calls abandoned in 10 seconds which were terminated by the caller before the call could be transferred to a call-taker, calls abandoned more than 10 seconds before the call could be transferred, and calls terminated by the caller after being transferred to a call-taker to answer.
“The 10111 number is the only line of defence some of our people have as they struggle against the unrelenting tide of crime sweeping across South Africa. We cannot allow South Africans to be abandoned and become even more defenceless due to the inability of the police to respond to emergencies,” said the DA.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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