The Din-Al-View CPF has issued a few safety tips and warnings for the public.
Crime is increasing drastically in the area, especially now before Christmas.
- When you leave the house, inform someone where you are going and the time you expect to return.
- Save their number on your cellphone or memorise the details of the person to be contacted in the event of an emergency and save them as one of your ICE (In Case of Emergency) contacts.
- Remember to avoid carrying large sums of cash, if possible.
- If you are taking a handbag, carry it close to your body at all times and zip it up. Don’t be tempted to put it into a shopping trolley. Criminals are often opportunistic and will take advantage of an easy situation.
Distractions:
One of the major issues adding to crimes against women is that often women are distracted while going about their busy day.
Distractions can range from caring for the children, carrying shopping, to speaking on a cellphone.
Don’t walk in the street or mall while talking on your cellphone. Often people are of the opinion that being on the phone is safe because the person on the line can call for help, but that rarely works out. Chatting can distract you from being aware of your surroundings.
That said, anyone who is walking by themselves, should hold their cellphone and be ready to make an emergency call.
Be aware of people around you when heading to your vehicle, especially at places such as shopping centres, petrol stations, ATMs and the likes.
Ensure that you take a moment to check the street before pulling into a driveway, be it your own or a friend’s.
Driving:
If you are driving, the first thing to do once you are inside your vehicle is to ensure that all the doors are locked.
Never drive with a handbag or any other valuable items on a seat or in the view of anyone looking into your vehicle from the outside.
Try and make your car a mobile-free zone so you can concentrate on your surroundings and keeping you and your family safe.
Most importantly, trust your instincts.
If someone or something makes you feel uneasy, avoid the individual and leave the area.
Some other useful hints when approaching your car:
Look underneath your car before approaching it in a parking garage at night.
If you return to your car and see that a van is parked right next to the driver’s side, enter through the passenger side, or go away and return when the van has moved away.
Predators often use vans and will disguise it as a family car, even using “Baby on Board” decals.
Finally, if you return to your car and it has a flat tyre, back away, return to wherever you came from (restaurant, store, etc) and call for help.
Once assistance arrives, approach your car.
If someone comes up to you, even if they are a woman and wants to offer help, politely say, “No thank you.”
If a man, he could be a predator.
If a woman, she could be working with an accomplice to lure an unsuspecting victim.
Public places:
You should remain vigilant when you are in a public place.
When using an ATM, it is important to shield your PIN number and be alert to anyone watching you.
Place your money in your purse/wallet immediately after the transaction and close the bag.
If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe at any time while using the ATM, cancel the transaction and leave.
You need to be particularly alert after using the ATM to any person who may follow you.
If you think someone is following you, immediately go to a safe location where there are people and contact the police.
Withdraw only money needed at the time and rather seek out ATMs located inside buildings, supermarkets or other busy locations rather than in a parking lot or on the pavement.
By exercising these precautions, you can develop very good safety habits that will assist you in avoiding dangerous situations.
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