Following a spate of house robberies and break-ins in the Midrand area, Fidelity ADT has issued a warning to all homeowners to remain vigilant, particularly as we approach the end of the year.
Danny Maringa, Community Development Manager for Fidelity ADT says that they have noticed that most of the robberies occur between Thursday and Monday during the daytime between 08:00 and 17:00. For the month of September there have been 7 House break-ins; 4 armed robberies, 4 incidents of common theft and 1 theft of motor vehicle. The suburbs affected are Glen Austin, President Park, Noordwyk, Chloorkop and Glenferness.
Maringa says “In our experience we have found that security measures like electric fences, detection beams and Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) are still key deterrents to crime, as are pets. For homeowners small dogs that sleep inside the house are seen as a deterrent. How secure your neighbourhood is, is also a meaningful factor. If robbers are scouting carefully, they will view regular patrol and a strong neighbourhood watch system as a good reason to move on,” he says.
“It is equally important that domestic staff always keep security gates on doors locked – they may not hear an intruder over the noise of the vacuum or know that someone has entered the house while they are in the backyard. The alarm system must always be armed when they leave the house; even if it is only for a few minutes.”
“The bottom line is you always need to remain vigilant. Act as if you are being watched and take all necessary precautions. Your security starts with having the correct domestic and gardening employees who are well vetted and au fait with your security protocols, to having the right security measures around your home; to living in a community that supports and has good security protocols,” he says.
“Finally, we strongly encourage domestic staff at adjacent and opposite properties to get to know one another. It is also a good idea to exchange cell phone numbers so that they can alert one another of suspicious people or vehicles. Getting to know your own neighbours in the community or joining the local Residence Association is also a good idea for homeowners themselves. We all need to have one another’s backs and act as the eyes and ears of the community to promote a safer community,” concludes Maringa.
