Western Cape DA raises concerns about Maitland 10 111 command centre
According to the latest statistics from the police service, a total of 18,293 calls to the command centre were abandoned in December 2024 alone.
Picture: Grethen de Waal/GroundUp
CAPE TOWN - The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape has raised concerns about the Maitland 10 111 Command Centre.
It said the centre is considered the heartbeat of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the province.
It services 72 police stations around the Cape Town metropole as well as Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.
But with only eight operators working per shift, thousands of emergency calls go unanswered.
According to the latest statistics from the police service, a total of 18,293 calls to the command centre were abandoned in December 2024 alone.
During the first week of January 2025, the centre received just under 25,000 calls, with 4,176 going unanswered.
The DA’s Nicholas Gotsell said there's a need for more operators.
"Over the December January period,d I think it was 30 December to 6th January, the amount of calls was so high I think it was about 24 000 in that week in one of the shifts they didn't have eight people because obviously people go on leave.”
Eyewitness News has reached out to the police commissioner’s office for comment and they are yet to reply.