Police
helpline: Man lets criminals go
after 'waiting hours' for cops
2015-08-20 18:13
Jenna Etheridge, News24
Cape Town – A man claims he twice
apprehended criminals and restrained them with a belt while waiting for police
to arrive.
After calling the national 10111 number,
Gavin Sher said he held them at bay with his firearm at his side, once in
Durbanville, Cape Town, and again in Knysna.
"After waiting several hours for the
police to come, I had to eventually let them go free with a warning," he
said on Thursday.
Many spoke of their frustration at waiting
hours, days or months for officers to arrive. Some were still waiting.
Other common themes that emerged were:
- Waiting for an operator to answer the
call.
- Resorting to calling a private security
company to get assistance.
- Being told there were no vehicles
available to dispatch.
- Being asked to phone the local police
station directly.
- Dealing with an operator who did not
know where an area was.
- Trying to convince the operator of the
seriousness of the incident.
Bianca Naidoo said she called the police
helpline about a year ago to tell them someone was trying to jump into their
yard.
When nobody came to assist, she phoned
back and was apparently advised that officers had been there, but she had
obviously not heard them because her television was on.
When Frank Taylor caught a burglar in his
house, he tried calling 10111, but couldn't get through.
"I lived down the street from the
police, literally a block away, and it took them an hour to respond after I
managed to get the number of the station and called them directly," he
said.
While the majority of shared experiences
were negative, a few people also said the police were efficient and responded
quickly.
Durbanite Louis van Ryneveld said he used
the number on numerous occasions and nearly always received exceptional
service.
Officers would be on the scene within five
minutes for emergencies and within 25 minutes for less serious offences, he
said.
Last month, Fikile Mkhize called 10111
from Mamelodi and waited fewer than 10 minutes for police to arrive.
"I was happy with their job and
although they might use force sometimes, they were considerate and
understanding to my situation. I would like to thank them for an effort well
done."
