A recent armed robbery of student accommodation in Nelspruit has once again highlighted the importance of safety for students across all university campuses.

According to Charnel Hattingh, Group Head of Marketing and Communications at Fidelity ADT, criminals are particularly interested in students because they tend to have laptops, smart phones and other gadgets which are light and portable and easy to convert into cash.

Hattingh says,” We are urging all students and residents living in shared accommodation to be security conscious at all times.

In this latest incident, an unknown number of armed suspects entered a student house and threatened the students who were inside. They took multiple electronic items including laptops, cellphones and cash, as well as demanded an e-wallet, before they fled the scene.

She offered the following safety tip to remember:

• Always ensure the access to a property from the street is secured and locked
• As far as possible, ensure that doors and windows are secured with burglar bars and gates, and not left open
• Be proactive about security to prevent being a victim of crime.
• Watch for people following you. Do not use your cellphone in the street. Keep valuables like cellphones and money hidden whilst walking to and from campus and to the shops
• Make sure all residents know how to use the panic button, most systems require you to hold the button down for 3 seconds for the signal to reach your security provider.

“Living with a number of people may offer a sense of false security, please be extra vigilant. Make sure you are security conscious at all times. Lock-up properly, watch that you are not being followed when you return home and set your alarms. Speak to all the residents if you are staying in a commune about the importance of security at this time. In addition, please report any suspicious individuals or behaviour to the SAPS or security companies. We need to work together to catch these gangs and bring a stop to this crime,” says Hattingh.