Ensure your home is secured while away
Easter is one of the busiest holidays of the year, as most people visit their loved ones or travel to holiday destinations. Steelburger/Lydenburg News, in collaboration with the police, put together basic preventative measures to consider as to not fall victim to house robbery when away.
LYDENBURG – Easter is one of the busiest holidays of the year, as most people visit their loved ones or travel to holiday destinations. Steelburger/Lydenburg News, in collaboration with the police, put together basic preventative measures to consider as to not fall victim to house robbery when away.
• Build a good relationship with your neighbours. Inform them when you will be away.
• Ask a friend or neighbour to keep an eye on your house while you are away. Ask him or her to drive by your home once every day or even stay in your home while you are away.
• Notify the police and neighbourhood watch. If they hear or see anything suspicious while patrolling, they should know that you are away.
• Before you leave move expensive items, like jewellery, TVs or computers out of sight from windows, or ask someone to keep it in their home till you return, especially if you are renting.
• Do not leave your lights on at home throughout your entire vacation to make it look like someone is at home. Rather buy lights that go on automatically at night. Criminals will notice lights flipping on and off, and will probably assume that someone is home. You can also ask a friend to switch them on and off for you if possible.
• Remove your spare key from your hiding place, eliminating the risk of a criminal discovering it.
• Do not tip criminals off on social media. Every time you post something on social- networking sites it is important to stop and think who might be reading it.
Updating your location and the time being away can be dangerous. Posting your detailed holiday plans when the information is visible to strangers might lead to robbers targeting your home (check the setting to ensure your posts are as private as possible).
• If your kids are home alone tell them not tell anyone that their parents are not home because criminals will take advantage of this.
• Keep all emergency numbers on speed dial. Save them on your phone and put them up somewhere visible in the house.
According to Lydenburg Police spokesman, Sgt Elizabeth Selwaletau Magoa, the community can call the police on 013-235-2223/1311. “Both police stations in Mashishing and in town are operating 24 hours a day. The public can also visit their nearest station if they need assistance,” she said.
