“We are asking the public to be vigilant,” he said.
According to Berdou one of the main crimes referred to the forum is that of personal items stolen from public spaces. This included items stolen during signal jamming incidents.
“By preventing preventable crimes, it’s less likely for serious crimes to have a follow-on effect,” Berdou said.
He believes that successful theft might cause an outbreak of similar crimes, yet it is as simple as checking that cars are locked, and hiding personal items in a safe place.
Berdou also advised residents to report incidents to the police, rather than being passive crime victims.
Other advice was a call to parents to know where their children are, and to keep tabs on them.
“We are finding more reports of children dropped at places, and ending up somewhere different. It’s important to call them to ensure they’re safe.”
Berdou appealed to shopkeepers and business owners to keep a look out during opening and closing of stores.
“Be sure that there are staff members around, and make sure everything is safe. Security companies shouldn’t charge extra to dispatch a guard to be present when locking up,” Berdou said.
The forum hopes to have their lowest community crime rate in 2013 thanks to these preventive measures.
