No answer at crime hotspot is an indictment while 10111 languishes

28 May 2012

Media reports this morning of broken South African Police Service (SAPS) telephones in the Western Cape is cause for concern - particularly considering the fact that the Western Cape was underreported.

While the media put the number of unanswered calls at six stations in the province, at least 14 are covered in the original report.

I will now be investigating this matter and personally visiting every station involved, and thereafter submitting a full report to the Police Commissioner.

The study, conducted by political researcher Mr van Onselen who phoned all police stations listed on the SAPS website, revealed that two police stations in the Western Cape have the wrong telephone numbers listed and 14 - an outrage in my book - simply ring unanswered.

Six of the 14 stations that did not answer their phones are in the Cape Town metro region: Pinelands, Bellville-South, Bishop Lavis, Khayelitsha, Delft and the province's crime and murder hotspot: Nyanga. Answering a call from the public is the least that can be expected of the SAPS. This is simply not good enough.

Given that the Western Cape 10111 call centre is experiencing capacity constraints and is in need of upgrading, it is disconcerting to know that local station numbers are not reliable either. While we wait for this crucial infrastructure upgrade, it is essential that local police station numbers are correctly listed, and answered.

In terms of my oversight role over the police, I will make sure that the errant stations are put back on track and continue to apply pressure to have the vital 10111 service upgraded as soon as humanly possible.

Statement by Dan Plato, Western Cape Minister of Community Safety, May 28 2012

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