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Just under 300 000 calls have been dropped at Eastern Cape police 10111 call centres in the last three financial years.
Above that, only 40 % of the ideal number of staff are employed at the centres which saw more than seven million calls being dropped nationwide.
These shocking statistics were laid bare in parliamentary questions answered by Police Minister Bheki Cele to the DA.
DA Shadow Minister of Police, Andrew Whitfield, says the 10111 number is for any emergency that requires a police response all the time and if not, was putting the lives of South Africans at risk of violent criminals.
Whitfield says he will be writing to the chairperson of the portfolio committee on police to request that the national police commissioner prepare a comprehensive turnaround plan for 10111 centres across the country within 30 days and for this plan to be tabled in Parliament when it reconvenes.
Meanwhile: lobby group Action Society released the results of its 1011 survey on Twitter on Thursday.
55.2% of respondents said they had phoned 10111 in an emergency while 44.8% said they had not.
Respondents were asked who they would rather call in an emergency with one 2% saying they'd phone the police.
56.8% said they'd rather call their private security company while 40.7% said they'd phone their neighbourhood watch.
64% of respondents said they only report a crime to the police for insurance purposes.
