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From Friday, 26 November 2021, a few Newcastillians noted their calls to the Newcastle Police Station went unanswered. A problem that persisted for the bulk of the weekend.
Station Commander of Newcastle Police Station Brigadier Leon Matthysen reveals that the entire phone system went down for reasons beyond their control. An incident that necessitated technicians working around the clock to resolve the matter.
While the issue has been rectified, the brigadier emphasises that precautions are being made to prevent such incidents in the future.
However, for one Newcastle resident, the phones being down spelt trouble on 27 November 2021. The mother, who wishes to remain anonymous out of fear, describes how two men entered her yard on Saturday evening and killed the family dog before making threats against her and her two children.
The Barry Hertzog Park resident attempted to contact the SAPS after the intruders had departed the premises. She was unable to communicate because of the poor line quality. Following this, she drove to the police station, only to be allegedly told that the SAPS could not assist her unless someone were hurt.
Cleaning up shop and taking the allegation seriously, Brigadier Matthysen says, “When complaints like this come forward and people have problems with our service, they need to step forward immediately. By reporting it, myself and police management can establish who was on duty, start the necessary investigations and take the relevant steps.”
Looking forward, he adds that the Newcastle SAPS will soon be adding a suggestion box at the station.
“The public can then submit complaints, recommendations, and feedback about the station’s service. Only the police management will have access to the keys ensuring all complaints and input can be monitored.”
Additionally, the brigadier says he’s also working hard to improve police response times on call outs. As a result, he explains that management is now monitoring all complaints made to the station. “The responding officers have targets and a set time in which to respond. This time allocation begins as soon as the call to report a crime is received.”
In light of this, he affirms that officers will be penalised if they do not respond within a certain amount of time.
Moreover, the SAPS head is driving local police to develop through other activities, such as improving service at the Newcastle Police Station. “We’re thinking about putting queue marshalls/managers in place. This is to ensure the disabled and elderly are assisted immediately, as well as those reporting serious crimes.”
The floor marshals/managers will not only cut the waits at the station, but Brigadier Matthysen affirms it would also provide a better functioning environment.
Nevertheless, the new station commander is already making strides, and we look forward to informing you further on his developments.
What are your thoughts on the Newcastle SAPS’s efforts to improve? Let us know what you think in the comments area below.
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One Response
Why now, i he a newly appointed station commander?