Must have numbers

Make sure your have the following numbers saved in the contact address book on your phone under easy-to-remember names:
• Save the following numbers under the name EMERGENCY:
- 10111 – this is a charged call, but it goes straight to the police and emergency call centre
- 10117 – for all ambulance and fire emergencies
- 112 – free call from your cellphone

• Under the name ICE (in case of emergency), save the names of the people that emergency services would contact in case of an emergency, such as a parent, partner or friend.

• Under the name POLICE , save the number of your local police station.
Always call 10111 for emergencies, but call the police station to follow up and after an emergency. Find the phone number of your police station at www.saps.gov.za

• Save the following numbers under the name JMPD
- 011 375-5911 – Call centre
- 0800 203 712 – JMPD Anti-corruption

• Under the name CRIMELINE save the number 32211 and use this to SMS tip-offs.

There are a few panic button options that you can sign up for and save on your phone. These all have a monthly subscription fee attached, so find out what service will work best for you and how much it will cost. Some good examples of such services are www.iceplus.co.za and www.eblockwatch.co.za

The system lets you send an SOS to your chosen contacts if you are in trouble, and makes it possible to track you should you go missing. MTN and Vodacom have similar systems, namely www.mtn2myaid.co.za for MTN, as well as www.look4me.co.za and www.look4help.co.za for Vodacom.

What to do if your cellphone is lost or stolen

It is mandatory to report all lost or stolen phones, as they are often linked to other crimes. To report your phone as lost or stolen, you should follow these steps:

Step 1
• Inform your cellphone network provider of your loss, and request that they block the SIM card and blacklist the handset. You will receive a reference number that you need to give to the police.

• To report your stolen phone, your network provider can be contacted at:
- Cell C – phone 140 from Cell C numbers or 084 140 from other cellphone networks
- MTN – phone 173 (prepaid) or 808 (contract) from MTN numbers, or 083 1 173
from a landline or other cellphone networks
- Vodacom – phone 111 from Vodacom numbers or 082 111 from a landline

Step 2
• Also report your lost/stolen cellphone to your nearest police station by providing
the reference number of your blacklisted cellphone. The police will then register
a case.

• A national police coordinator will receive monthly reports of the number of cellphones that have been robbed and stolen all over the country. He/she will then compile a national database of cellphones that had been blacklisted during that month.

Tips on how to be a safer cellphone user

• When in public, conceal your cellphone and only answer the phone when it’s safe.

• Avoid lending your phone to other people.

• Don’t divulge personal details to people on systems like MIXIT.

• When travelling by car, make sure your phone remains out of sight. Cellphones are
the biggest target of smash-and-grab criminals.

• If you do cellphone banking, be aware of phishing scams, in which criminals try to get your passwords and details under false pretences.

• Remember, it is against the law to talk on your cellphone while driving, so use a hands-free solution that works for you.

• All cellphones need to be registered with RICA before December 2010. ‘You can help to make South Africa a safer place, as this law aims to help law-enforcement agencies to identify the users of cellphone numbers and track criminals using cellphones for illegal activities.’

Find out more about RICA and what you need to do from your cellphone network provider.

These Must Have Numbers is an initiative of the CPF Partnership, and is supported by the Johannesburg City Safety Programme.

Visit www.cpfpartnership.co.za for more information.