Warrant Officer Riaan Riekert of the Norwood Police Station said house robberies were one of the major problems in the area, putting many people at risk, with victims suffering emotional trauma.
Riekert said house robberies usually occurred when people were getting ready for work as they were in a relaxed state and did not expect anything to happen.
“Women also get targeted early in the mornings after dropping their children off at school or daycare centre; and when everybody has arrived back home and are about to have supper,” he said.
He said 75 percent of house robberies were carried out with precision, and perpetrated by a group of individuals, each knowing exactly what they were doing. “Many times robbers know the house. This can be information given by a domestic worker, some contractor that did work at your place or an employee that visited your house a few times,” Rickert said.
Here are his tips to prevent house robberies:
- A firearm safe, especially for handguns which are used for protection, should be in your bedroom, but if you have other valuables the safe should be hidden in another closet or unexpected place.
- Do not withdraw large amounts of cash at once, rather draw small amounts at different branches.
- Do not mention your plan to withdraw money.
- Do a criminal check on your employees before appointing them.
- Do not hire people from the street to clean your house or garden.
- Alternate your routes every day.
- Report suspicious activity, such as people you do not know gathering in your street or a broken down vehicle.
Details: Riaan Riekert 076 070 2048.
