Overhaul for E999

COMPLAINTS from the public over the lacklustre response of E999 officers to distress calls have prompted Police Commissioner Gary Griffith to revamp the E999 Emergency Response Unit.

New instructions have been given and new arrangements put in place to ensure that distress calls made to the E999 Response Unit be attended within a reasonable time. Yesterday, Griffith said the new Emergency Response Unit will not only attend to distress calls but will also provide a greater visibility outside schools.

He said the Police will now partner with the Ministry of Education with respect to this new venture. According to the Commissioner This Unit will assist greatly in providing high visibility in high risk schools, at the beginning of the school day and the end of school hours. However it is not a unit specifically for schools.

“It had to do with concerns I had. I notice there is a big issue with E999 calls, persons having to wait over 20 minutes for calls to be answered, then they are referred to the police division in closest proximity to them.

“If that station has no vehicle, vehicles may be out on another patrol or investigation, distress calls could take hours before a response is given and the police will arrive late. This can actively cause a minor situation to turn into a serious if not fatal matter”.

The commissioner reiterated that within the next few weeks there will be a total overhaul of the E999 system to ensure there is an immediate response to the people making the E999 call and more importantly, he pointed out, there will be the establishment of an emergency response unit with approximately 140 vehicles that will directly deal with E999 distress calls.

“These vehicles will be GPS tracked and monitored at a newly established Operational Command Centre where vehicles will be monitored and directed to report to the scene of the distress calls based on vehicle close proximity”. He noted that the drivers will also be directed to stay in their area of responsibility, hence basically throwing a security blanket over the country around the clock.

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