It has been reported that criminals often target homes at times when the occupants are not at home or are asleep.
“They do not seek violence and often this is a result of being surprised on their end,” Jason Mordecai, managing director of Seven Arrows Security, explained.
This is why it is important to have a safe zone within your home.
“It is vital to keep your family together if you are in a home invasion, the goal is to lock up and stay together throughout the ordeal” said Mordecai.
“It is important to have a plan for such an incident and for every member in the household to know what the plan is.”
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Here are several things to consider when deciding on a safe zone within the home:
• The living area needs to be made separate to the rest of the house, this means that that bedrooms should ideally have a barrier between them and the remainder of the home.
• A strong barrier is highly important, “There would be no point in having a weak security gate that is easy to break through.
“A slam lock would be ideal or a lock with a key in it at all times to make for an easy lock system,” said Mordecai.
• Always have a plan of action for the whole family.
• The room that you plan to stay in must have more than one panic button available in it.
“It is advisable to have a panic button placed at a low level in a bathroom as criminals often tie up residents and leave them in the bathroom” said Mordecai.
• A first aid kit should be made available in the safe zone.
• A good quality torch should also be made available along with an emergency power saving light.
• It is also a good idea to keep a cheap cellphone with a small amount of airtime loaded in the safe area.
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“We urge residents to evaluate the security in their homes, criminals often take the easy route to homes and residents who let them in without even realising it.
“The more aware and ready you are the better,” Mordecai concluded.
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Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za or Ashley Kiley (Journalist) ashleyk@caxton.co.za.
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