Police recommend that people adopt a pro-active approach to secure their homes and businesses against burglars and robbers.
Police spokesperson Captain Colette Weilbach provided tips for home and business owners to keep themselves and their property safe.
For business-owners:
– Ensure windows and office doors are locked properly after hours. Valuables, such as laptops, should be kept in a safe and not left unsecured on desks.
– Closed circuit television (CCT) cameras and recording devices should be in a good working-order at all times.
– Install cameras at eye level to ensure better footage.
– Install alarms and activate it after hours.
– Ensure more than one person is present when opening up and locking your business.
– Keep back doors, or any access not used during business hours, locked.
– Criminals often gain access by posing as contractors. Staff should not allow them access unless confirmed with management.
For home owners:
– Always be observant. If you suspect you are being followed while driving, do not go home. Drive to the nearest police station or public location where you can be safe and report the suspect behaviour immediately.
– Develop a habit of locking doors, even when you are at home during the day.
– Upgrade security measures. Remember back doors, kitchen windows and sliding doors.
– Do not leave valuables such as laptops and cellphones close to open windows where it is easily accessible from the outside.
– If you are staying in a security complex, wait for the electrical gate to close behind you during arrival and departure.
– Remove valuable items from parked vehicles at home. Theft out of motor vehicles also happens at home and inside security complexes.
– Talk to your domestic worker and gardener about safety and upgrade security measures such as safety gates and burglar bars at the windows of their living quarters.
– Do not allow any unknown person access to your property unless you requested/invited them to visit you.
– Do not ignore the intercom or buzzer at the gate. Criminals would often press the button just to check if someone is at home.
“The SAPS calls on the community to assist them with information on crimes in their area. Contact the Crime Stop number: 08600 10111 or SMS Crime Line 32211 to report crime anonymously,” said Weilbach.
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