The verdict is open for Kabul police’s emergency number, 119, after five years of service.
“We have thwarted more than 960 improvised blasts over the past five years through the 119 emergency calling,” said Homayon Aini,
“We have thwarted more than 960 improvised blasts over the past five years through the 119 emergency calling,” said Homayon Aini, director of 119 department at the Ministry of Interior (MoI). Aini said that the emergency call system had also enabled the police to save lives, protect properties and reduce crimes in the capital city and its suburbs.
The toll-free emergency call system was set up five years ago in a bid to provide better security and fight crimes in Kabul city where rapid population growth has brought about various social challenges.
“At the center of our achievements is the public cooperation without which we could not have had thwarted criminal and terrorist incidents,” said Aini.
After its successful launch in the capital, the emergency calling system will be soon launched in Mazar and Jalalabad cities, officials said.
Criticisms
The story of Afghanistan’s first-ever police emergency number is not all rosy.
Several Kabul residents told Killid the reasons why some people do not call 119 in case of an emergency.
“The very first problem is that calls are rarely answered and when calls go through the police arrive very late,” said Faizul Rahman, a resident of Karte Seh in Kabul.
“There was a fire incident at 8pm when we called the emergency number 199 but the firefighters came at 12pm when everything was burned to ashes,” said Lal Mohammad, a resident of Karte Char.
There were also other serious allegations.
‘Instead of going after the criminals and doing proper investigations about the crime, the police often bothers the callers and in some cases even incarcerated them,” said Samadi Ali, a resident of Kabul city.
A spokesman for the Kabul Police refuted most of the criticisms and described cooperation between the police and the public as good.
“It does not make sense to put callers in jail for no crime,” said Hashmatullah Stanekzai, Kabul Police spokesperson. However, he said some callers who were proved with involvement in the reported crime, had been detained for questioning.
Expand 119
Capacity is an ongoing issue for the fledging Afghan National Police. As foreign combat troops are reducing their numbers, more security responsibilities are being transferred to Afghan security forces.
“We had some technical and capacity problems which were impacting our quick response to some incidents but now our server capacity has been upgraded to 11,000 calls at a time,” said Homayon Aini of the 119 department.
Despite all the shortcomings, the 119 emergency call system must develop and its services should expand throughout the country, Ali Akbar Qasemi, a member of defense committee at the Wolesi Jirga, told Killid.
Qasemi and Rezwanullah Basharmal, an analyst of security affairs in Kabul, emphasized on public support for the police in reducing urban crimes and insecurity.
For an estimated Kabul population of six million there is a 15,000 police force, according to MoI officials.
