Community is key to crime prevention
JOBURG - All residents should get involved in their communities by getting to know their neighbourhoods and neighbours this year, says Clive Humphrey, Managing Director of ADT Central Region.
“This is a vital defence mechanism in community security. Your neighbours are the closest in proximity to you when you are at home and are the most likely to be the first to identify a possible problem,” he said.
Humphrey said by knowing your neighbours’ daily routines and those of their domestic staff, as well as the surroundings of the neighbourhood, it is easier to notice suspicious people, vehicles and activity. “We have seen successful crime prevention in suburbs where residents get actively involved in their communities. This leads to combined security implementation which has a greater impact on an area than individual efforts do,” he added.
Station commander at the Parkview Police Station Colonel Nanda Moodley said there was a growing tendency for criminals to approach residents while they are bidding farewell to guests. “What criminals do is approach as though they were asking for directions and pull out a firearm and at gunpoint force the homeowner and their visitor onto the property and rob them.”
Moodley advised residents to exercise extreme caution in their behaviour. “What they can rather do is say their farewells in their property without standing on the street and starting a conversation there,” he said.
“By working together as each other’s eyes and ears, you, your neighbours, the police and security providers can make your suburb a no-go zone for criminals,” concluded Humphrey.
