Safeguard your home against criminals

Safeguard your home against criminals –

The term ‘housebreaking’ aptly describes the act, according to Lizzy Arumugam from Newcastle SAPS Corporate Communications.

She explained that housebreaking occurs when thieves break into your home to steal, either through forced entry or by threatening an occupant to open the door for them.

This kind of crime can happen whether you are present or not.

Newcastle SAPS has provided the following safety tips in response to recent housebreaking incidents:

• Know all emergency phone numbers
• When moving into a new home, or after keys are lost or stolen, change the outside door locks
• Set up adequate outside lighting – however, lights turned on during the day may attract the attention of thieves.
• Mail left at the gate is also an indication that no one is at home – get a friend or neighbour to keep an eye out and regularly remove mail and newspapers

Make good use of lighting. When you have lights on inside while it is dark outside, you are at a disadvantage. When there are lights on outside when it is dark inside, you can observe what is going on without being seen.”

• After dark, curtains should be closed to prevent suspects from observing activity inside the home
• Never leave a worker alone in your home
• Ladders should not be left lying around
• Before hiring anyone (permanent or casual), conduct thorough background checks
• Be cautious about what you discuss in front of staff
• Don’t leave the garage, front door or cellar door open – this may attract intruders
• Never open the door automatically when someone knocks – see if the person attempting to enter is who you expected

Robbers posing as telephone technicians, municipal inspectors and a variety of other professions frequently approach unsuspecting domestic workers, garden staff and children,” said Arumugam.

• Criminals may pretend to converse with the owner, in order to put pressure on unsuspecting victims to open the gate or door
• People who are at home during the day should be warned about these scams
• Assist your domestic worker with understanding the importance of security and by extension, their own safety
• Criminals have also been known to pose as police officials.

 A police officer can be identified in the following ways:

• Members are required to carry identification cards including their name, rank, service number and photograph
• When in uniform, the member will wear a name plate with the police star on the badge, as well as rank epaulets
• Members in plainclothes or in uniform can be asked to show their identification cards (also known as appointment certificates)
• A watchdog is an excellent early warning system – keep the animal visible but out of strangers’ reach

The unexplained death of a watchdog is a red flag that burglary is imminent. Poisons used to kill or incapacitate dogs are also extremely dangerous to humans and should only be handled by experts.”

• Dogs that are allowed to bark at anything are less effective as ‘alarm systems’ than those kept closer to you or inside the house, which should only bark when someone/something is a direct threat to you
• Keep a fully charged torch nearby at all times, as well as your cell phone
• Save all emergency phone numbers and your own number

If your alarm goes off, if you hear strange noises or your dogs bark, turn on the outside lights and proceed with caution. Don’t go outside unless you’re certain it’s safe.”

• If you have a panic button, keep it nearby and use it if you notice anyone on your property who does not belong there
• Install security gates on all doors leading directly from your home to your garage
• Keep an eye on the area where you sleep – install a security gate in the corridor leading to your bedrooms
• Keep an eye out for fire escape routes
• When approaching your home entrance on foot or by car, make sure it’s safe to enter and that you’re not being followed

Keep an eye out for people loitering near the entrance, vehicles stopping when you slow down, or anything out of the ordinary at your house.”

• Keep your entrance clear of plants or obstacles which could be a hiding place for would-be robbers
• Keep your keys safe at all times, to prevent them from being duplicated
• Never leave your house keys in a pot or under a doormat

After you’ve locked your door from the inside, take the key out of the keyhole and put it somewhere safe, where it can’t be reached through a window.”

• Take care when taking out the garbage at night or feeding the dog – ask another member of the household to keep an eye on you until you are safely back inside
• Know your neighbours and cultivate a relationship of mutual trust and support with them – if you are going on vacation, notify them or make arrangements for your house to be monitored and unusual activity to be reported
• Limit who has access to your personal information, your movements and what is in your home

It is best to make arrangements with people who live on the same street as you, to be ready at all times to come to each other’s aid if you are in danger or suspect criminal activity is taking place.”

• Exchange phone numbers or signalling methods for when you are in trouble
• Help by informing SAPS or a security company, making a noise and turning on lights, but do not try to get involved

Create an emergency plan with your family for various types of events and ensure that every member of the household is familiar with it.”

What to do should your home be broken into:

• Contact your local police station as soon as possible
• Before touching anything, wait until fingerprints and statements have been taken
• Allow private security companies to enter the house, but do not allow anything to be touched until SAPS has investigated the scene
• Keep an eye out for unusual footprints in the garden and report them to the police

For investigation purposes, a list of the make, model and serial numbers of electrical appliances and other valuable equipment should always be available,” concluded Arumugam.

The news provided to you in this link has been investigated and compiled by the editorial staff of the Newcastle Advertiser, a sold newspaper distributed in the Newcastle area. Please follow us on Youtube and feel free to like, comment, and subscribe. For more local news, visit our webpage, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and request an add on our WhatsApp (082 874 5550).