SCHOOL holidays can be a vulnerable time for families when children may be home alone or lucky enough to have domestic workers to look out for them while they play. This is because the change in routine at home can result in parents and domestic workers relaxing their usual security routine, giving criminals a chance to pounce.
This was the warning from Blue Security managing director Darryn le Grange who offered parents the following security tips for the holidays.
“Remind your domestic workers and train your children to be security and safety conscious so that they will be vigilant when they are home alone and know exactly what to do in an emergency situation,” le Grange said.
· Domestic workers should be reminded regularly not to let any strangers onto the property even if they claim to be the plumber, the electrician or the roofer. If you are expecting a service provider to arrive, give your domestic worker the name of the person, the company name and if possible a description.
· Children are often the first to answer the telephone during the school holidays. Warn them never to tell a caller that you are not there but to rather say that you can’t come to the phone at the moment and take a message.
· Teach your older children how to work the alarm system and show younger children how the panic buttons work. Do a test on the alarm so that they can familiarize themselves with what to do in an emergency.
· Leave your children with a cellphone that has been linked to your security company’s control centre and show them how to use it in case of an emergency.
· Teach your children the emergency number of your local ambulance service, 10111, fire department and security company. Place these numbers on the fridge and on the telephone and make sure the number is listed in the cellphone contact book.
· Tell your children to keep all windows and doors closed and to never open the gate to strangers. Tell them never to let beggars and travelling salesmen know that they are home alone as they may be criminals staking out the property.
· Do practice drills with your children on what to do in these different situations and in the case of an emergency, as they will be more likely to respond correctly if the action has been rehearsed.
“Many housebreakings occur in broad daylight and the most vulnerable times are when residents leave for work in the mornings and arrive home in the late afternoon. Make sure that your children do not run outside and hang around the gate in anticipation of your return as this could make them unnecessarily vulnerable should anything happen,” le Grange said.
“Teaching your children to be security conscious is a sad necessity of modern life but the good news is that the vigilance of residents, the police and security companies has proved time and again to be an effective crime prevention strategy.”
