The Gauteng Police are appealing to the community to stop abusing the 10111 emergency line.
According to Captain Pinky Tsinyane, the Gauteng Police 10111 communication commander, everyone who calls 10111 should do so to report an emergency, not to abuse it.
“We receive high volumes of abusive, hoax and prank calls made by children and adults. This type of behaviour is making it difficult for the public who need police assistance urgently to get help. The police condemn such behaviour because it may cost lives. When members of the public call the emergency number responsibly, lives will be saved, more crimes will be prevented and more suspects will be arrested.”
She added that they are the South African Police Service front liners who are committed to every citizen’s safety as per their core function and are serving an estimated 14,7 million people in Gauteng.
“All communities, especially children, should be educated about the importance of the 10111 emergency line.
“At Gauteng 10111 Command Centre we are at your service for 24/ 7. Call 10111 only when you are in a life-threatening situation, witness a crime, or see something suspicious or someone possibly committing an offence. Our call operators and call dispatchers will ensure that every complaint is registered and dispatched to be attended to.
“We have also realised that some people call the emergency line several times a day to report the same incident. It is a crime to abuse 10111. Use it responsibly. When you call the emergency number try to be calm, speak clearly and slowly for the telephone operator to assist you quicker. Give the telephone operator your contact number, full address where the incident is happening and the type of incident, and if possible describe the nearest landmarks such as a post office, shops or clinic, especially where there are no proper addresses. Our members will attend to all the complaints as soon as possible.
“When we follow up on some of the calls that were made repeatedly from the same number, often parents inform us that their child was playing with the phone. Responsible citizen, we cannot let our children play with the phone and call the 10111 emergency lines.”
