Police Emergency Number Gets Upgrade

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud) announced that he will propose a law to enable the police to process immediately anyone who calls the emergency 100 number, as well as a digitalization of the service which will connect it with social media.

The decision comes in the wake of a public outcry over the slow processing of calls to the 100 number with information about the whereabouts of the terrorist Nashat Milhem, whom security forces were searching for after he killed three people in Tel Aviv on January 1.

In a meeting conducted by Erdan, police officials reported on the current status of the emergency number, recommendations that have been adopted, and what remains to be done for upgrading the efficiency of emergency response.

In addition, officials described a program for expanding the capacities of the 100 number in the future to handle text messages, video and more.

The police emergency number receives 8.5 million calls per year. About 12 percent of them are nuisance calls, and the minister instructed the police to take a more severe approach in punishing those who make them.