As holiday season draws near, the retail industry starts buzzing and malls and shopping centres fill up with customers wanting to make purchases for Christmas and New Year’s festivities. Along with that, however, comes an increase in the risk of mall robberies.

According to the police’s crime statistics for April to June this year, a total of 516 robberies were committed on non-residential properties in Mpumalanga alone.

“The golden rule if you ever are caught in the middle of a heist is to stay calm,” said Wahl Bartmann, CEO of Fidelity Services Group.

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According to him, customers need to remain vigilant, should always be on the lookout for any suspicious activities and be aware of the people around them.

Bartmann said crime is becoming more sophisticated, with inside information playing an increasingly prominent role. “Whether you were in the store being robbed or just witnessed the incident in the centre, you should seek counselling, regardless of how you might feel. It often takes some time to experience and deal with the post-traumatic stress following such robberies.”

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Fidelity Services Group provided the following advice:

If you are in the store being robbed:
• Cooperate with robbers for your own safety. Listen to their instructions closely and follow their instructions.
• Try and keep as calm as possible. Everyone reacts in a different way, but try and breathe deeply until help arrives.
• Do not use your cellphone while the robbery is in process; this could agitate the assailants.
• Immediately try and find a sheltered spot and keep low to the ground.
• Take note of the assailants to pass information on to the authorities later.
• Ensure your children are always kept close to you. Do not let children wander off while you are shopping.

If you are not in the store being robbed:
• Speak with the store personnel to firstly close the roller shutter doors. Move to the back of the store, out of sight.
• Try and find a store closest to you and secure yourself as described above.
• Do not try and exit via the standard entry and exit points, as these are the same points the robbers will be using. Many malls now have standard operating procedures to lock down the mall.