Gauteng emergency response improves

Monday, September 7, 2009

Johannesburg - The average response time for Gauteng police to attend to emergencies on the 10111 number has improved to less than 30 minutes.

Reporting on the department's service delivery during the first 100 days, Community Safety MEC Khabisi Mosunkutu Mosunkutu said this was the lowest response time recorded since April 2008 when the reaction times averaged 102 minutes.

Reiterating what Premier Nomvula Mokonyane promised on 'increasing material support to the recently initiated Rapid Response Team', MEC Mosunkutu said he was happy to confirm that they were on course towards fulfilling that promise.

"In the hundred days or so after this was said by the Premier, a fleet of 14 high powered BMW vehicles have been added to the 100 vehicles available to the Rapid Response Team," he said.

MEC Mosunkutu further said that steps to review the criminal justice system, which would help more effective co-ordination in Gauteng, were in place and the first meeting towards launching that body took place last month (August).

As part of creating conducive conditions to strengthen social crime prevention strategies, the department had recruited an additional 2 469 community patrollers, reports the Gauteng Provincial Government.

In addition, the provincial government will convene a meeting with private security companies in Gauteng with the aim to further enhance the fight against crime.

The MEC further noted that available information indicated an increase in business robberies and a decrease in vehicle hijackings and residential robberies. At least 176 suspected criminals involved in these robberies have been arrested.