Stay safe when going to the malls this Black Friday

Shopping centres and malls are expected to become extremely busy Black Friday and other festive season shopping deals and specials.

“As we approach this busy retail period, we must remember that the risk of robberies or other unscrupulous activity increases. Criminal elements are attracted to large gatherings of this kind, and knowing what to do in the event of a mall robbery could save your life,” said Charnel Hattingh, head of Marketing and Communications at Fidelity Services Group.

The first thing to remember, she said, is to stay calm if you ever find yourself in the midst of a robbery. Shoppers always need to remain vigilant and be on the lookout for any suspicious activities and be aware of the people around them.

Hattingh offers the following advice.  

If you are in the store that is being robbed:

•  Co-operate with robbers for your own safety. Listen to their instructions closely and follow their instructions
• Try and keep as calm as possible. Everyone reacts in a different way but try and breathe deeply until help arrives
• Do not use your cell phone whilst the robbery is in process, this could agitate the assailants
• Immediately try and find a sheltered spot and keep low on the ground
• Take note of the assailants to pass the information on to the authorities i.e. what they were wearing, any distinctive clothes, markings, jewellery etc. Try and remember what they look like i.e. height, weight, etc.
•  Ensure your children are always kept close to you. Do not let children wander off while you are shopping
• Do not shop with large amounts of cash or valuables.

  If you are not in the store being robbed:

• Speak with the store personnel to firstly close the roller shutter doors. This is also standard operating procedures in many malls and move to the back of the store, out of sight
• Try and find a store closest to you and secure yourself as described above
• Do not try and exit via the standard entry and exit points as these are the same points the robbers will be using. Many malls now have standard operating procedures to lock down the mall.

Hattingh also recommends that people pay attention to the journey to and from the mall.

“Be on the lookout for anyone that might be following you. If anything feels suspicious, rather continue driving and try to get to a police station or anyone else that could assist. Whether you were in the store being robbed, or just witnessed the incident in the Centre, you should seek counselling, regardless of how you might feel. It often takes some time to experience and deal with the post-traumatic stress following such robberies,” she said.

Source: Embetween PR and Communications