Staying safe this festive season

Police share safety tips with the public to ensure their safety and security is maximised this festive season.

Parkview Police Station will continue conducting disruptive operations and awareness campaigns within the precinct. Colonel Theledi Gopane, Station Commander of Parkview, urged everyone in the precinct to get involved in crime-fighting initiatives, including involvement with the Community Policing Forum.

To ensure that members of the public have the necessary information to keep themselves safe, the station shared safety tips for their homes, while driving, liquor related and what to do when a victim of contact crimes. They also encouraged the public to report any suspicious behaviour to the police and report all crime incidents that have taken place.

Safety tips Parkview police have shared for a safer festive season:

Tips for your home:

• Do not leave the house unattended over the festive season, ask a trusted neighbour or relative to watch over it
• Stop all the deliveries of daily and weekly newspapers or ask someone to clear your mail box often
• Leave your contact details with your surrounding neighbours so they can contact you if anything happens
• Ensure that all doors and windows are properly closed when leaving the house and at night when going to sleep
• Residents should make sure all panic buttons are in working order and activate it in emergencies so police and security can react quickly
• Always be on the lookout for suspicious persons and vehicles
• Do not open gates and doors for strangers
• Verify the details of anyone before you employ them and check authenticity of a contractor before you allow access to the premises.

Driving safety tips:

• While driving, keep checking your rear view mirror. If you sense you are being followed, circle the block
• If your follower persists, drive to the nearest police station or phone someone for help
• Keep doors locked and windows closed at intersections
• Don’t open your windows to speak to beggars or hawkers
• Keep cell phones, valuables, handbags, laptops and briefcases out of sight at all times
• When approaching home, make sure there are no suspicious loiterers or vehicles near your gate
• If there are, drive past and circle the block until you are satisfied it is safe to open your gates or contact the police
• Once in your property, close your gates immediately

Safety tips related to alcohol to prevent contact crimes

• Excessive consumption of alcohol is the major cause of contact crimes such as common assault, assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, rape, robbery and murder
• Do not carry too much money when going to drinking places
• Do not carry weapons when you attend social gatherings
• Do not share a drink with someone you do not know
• Avoid confrontation when under the influence of alcohol
• Do not leave your drink unattended

What to do when you a victim of contact crimes

• Comply, remain calm and do not argue with crime perpetrators
• Do not make sudden gestures
• Avoid eye contact but try to remember how the perpetrator looks like by identifying and remembering special features
• Try to get away safely from the area as quickly as possible
• Do not be a hero, your life is worth more than anything.