Stay safe in your estate

They ferret out informants in informal settlements and other communities who, knowingly or unknowingly, provide information on what they see and hear as contractors or service providers on estates.

A particularly serious problem is information passed on by people who live on or have regular jobs within estates.

Armed with information, and their own reconnaissance, criminals have found new ways of gaining access to estates.

“While security companies are constantly on the look out for ways to improve their service to residents, residents too can play a part in dealing with crime in estates,” said Clive Humphrey, managing director of ADT Central Region.

He offers the following safety tips for estate residents:

•  Don’t rely on perimeter security alone. While perimeter security measures have been successful in driving down crime in estates, once criminals gain access to properties within estates they often have free reign. This is because residents become complacent about their personal home security. Be sure to lock doors and windows and ensure vehicles are locked even if parked in a garage. Don’t leave valuables lying around, particularly where they may be visible to a passerby.
•  Check references of your domestic worker and gardener. Often crimes within estates are carried out with the assistance of a domestic staff member. Make sure you have properly checked your domestic worker’s and gardener’s references and educate them on keeping your home secure when you are not there.
•  Report suspicious behaviour. A growing trend in estates is for a crime syndicate to move into a home for a period of time. During this time they monitor the behaviour of residents and initiate house break-ins in the estate before moving out. If you notice any suspicious behaviour, i.e. blinds or curtains permanently drawn, report it immediately to your security company.
•  Be alert when entering and exiting the estate. Criminals have targeted residents leaving from or returning to estates and hijacked them a few metres from the gates, if not right in front of the gates. The reality is that people relax and become less alert the closer they get to home.