Don’t abuse emergency number
SAPS Capt Pinky Tsinyane said the police serve an estimated 14.7 million residents in Gauteng.
Police have urged residents to not abuse the 10111 emergency line as they are receiving high volumes of abusive, hoax and prank calls that are made by both children and adults.
“Considering this, we urge the public, and especially children, to be educated about the critical function of the 10111 emergency number and respect its important function,” said SAPS Capt Pinky Tsinyane .
Tsinyane said prank calls put a strain on the police providing assistance to those who genuinely need it.
“The police condemn such behaviour because it may even cost lives,” she explained.
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“However, when the public uses the emergency number responsibly, lives will be saved, more crimes will be prevented and more suspects will be arrested.”
The 10111 24-hour emergency line is for:
• Life-threatening situations.
• A crime in progress (witnessing a crime).
• Reporting suspicious activity.
“Our call operators and dispatchers will ensure that every complaint is registered and dispatched accordingly,” Tsinyane said.
“There are people who call the emergency line several times a day to report the same incident.
“When we follow up on repeat calls from the same number, parents often inform us that their child was ‘playing with the phone’,” Tsinyane said.
“We urge parents to be responsible and not let their children make unnecessary calls to 10111.
“Let’s not abuse this vital emergency resource. It is a crime to abuse the 10111 number.”
Her advice when calling the emergency number is to remain calm and speak clearly and slowly in order for the operator to assist speedily.
Call operators require the following information when you call into 10111:
• Your contact number.
• Full address of where the incident is happening.
• Type of incident and, if possible, a description of the nearest landmarks, such as a post office, shops or clinic, especially in areas where there are no proper street addresses.
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