Cape Town’s Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) received more than 182,000 emergency calls in the past financial year, with medical emergencies remaining the biggest reason people asked for help.

The City says more than 111,000 calls were for medical assistance. Reports of domestic violence, road accidents, assaults, child abuse and noise complaints also increased.

Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says the figures show that more residents are relying on the service.

“The increased call rates underline the importance of this resource and how it has become the go-to for many people when they need help.”

He says some of the statistics, including domestic violence and road crashes, are worrying, but the City remains focused on getting help to callers as quickly as possible.

“We have taken steps to free up our emergency call takers by introducing a reporting feature on the City’s App for non-emergency Safety and Security incidents, like by-law transgressions. For example, noise complaints to the call centre have skyrocketed.”

Smith is encouraging residents to use the City’s mobile app to report non-emergency problems, such as noise complaints, instead of calling the emergency line.

“Only call the PECC telephone line if the incident is not available on the app, or it is a life-threatening emergency.”