Network problems, and not faulty equipment, are to blame for the Durban 10111 centre not being able to record emergency calls for the past six months.
So says police spokesperson Vincent Mdunge, who adds that the Durban central police station, where the emergency centre is based, is currently undergoing refurbishment.
"Given that it is a construction site, there are obvious grey areas in the network with certain calls getting cut and calls not being recorded, but it is not due to police negligence," says Mdunge. "Our staff are still there taking calls as usual."
Mdunge says construction has been ongoing for the past four to five months and he estimates that it could take up to another nine months to complete the project. "This is a huge project, solely intended to enhance service delivery," says Mdunge.
Mdunge said it was possible that vital information could have been lost due to thousands of emergency calls not being recorded, but added it should be understood that this was one of the complications caused by the construction.
Not good enough
Meanwhile, Democratic Alliance shadow minister of police Dianne Kohler Barnard has expressed her dissatisfaction with the explanation given for 10111 calls not being recorded.
"The reason for the equipment not working is not relevant, and it is certainly not relevant for the person in a panic, who is getting their front door kicked in," says Kohler Barnard. "The SAPS should have arranged for an alternative venue for the 10111 centre while the current building is under construction. Nobody is interested in excuses."
According to Kohler Barnard, the Durban 10111 centre is just one of a number of emergency centres across the country that is experiencing problems. She says poorly trained staff, who are unable to deal with someone in a panic, is one of the biggest problems at the 10111 centres.
"People are not getting the service they need from these centres, and when civilians lose faith in a system, they will simply stop using it," says Kohler Barnard. "That is why private security is a multibillion-rand industry, because people do not have faith that the SAPS can protect them."
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