Security Tips
- Look at you house as a burglar would and identify any weak points in you security system.
- Robbers will monitor the home for as long as two weeks
- According to studies, eight out of 10 residential robberies are committed with the help of information from people that you employ.
- Gangs research armed response firms' response times
- Most attacks occur between 7pm and midnight as people are relaxed,cooking or watching tv.
- 97 % of robbers are armed
- On average an armed robbery gang has four members
- 50 % of residential robberies in South Africa take place in Gauteng.
- It is a Complete myth that only white people are victims of robberies - anyone displaying any form of wealth (double story homes, expensive jewellery and fancy cars) is a target.
- The average age of a robber is between 19 and 26 years.
- An average of 30% of all house robbers have either committed murder,or won't hesitate to commit murder.
- Inspect your garden for places that can conceal a criminal.
- Compare you security measures to you neighborhood and lifestyle are they adequate enough
- Carefully assess your family’s security disciplines (locking doors, assertiveness with strangers, awareness of dangers, alertness, key storage, etc.)
- Use this information to establish a security routine and train your family and others in the home to stick to it!
- To secure sliding glass doors, add a bolt lock or use a "charley bar" to block the door closed and install an expandable security barrier.
- Keep your garage door locked at all times, preferably with a deadbolt lock.
- Some burglars scan newspapers for wedding and funeral announcements and special community and holiday events that might take you out of your home, so be especially careful on these occasions.
- Install motion-detection floodlights around your home, high enough so that intruders can’t disable them.
- If any of your exterior doors are hollow-core, replace them with solid wood, fiberglass or steel doors and fit a steel security gate.
- If you have a double-cylinder deadbolt that is operated by a key both inside and out, keep the key in a safe place near the door where every family member can find it and exit quickly in case of fire.
Assess Potentially Weak AreasPhysical Security Barriers
- Are all the openings in your home secured with barriers robust enough to deter a criminal? The best way of preventing a crime is to discourage the criminal from even considering breaking into your home in the first place. If a criminal has broken in once, he will more than likely try again.
- Have a look at the condition of the barriers. Poorly-maintained barriers will be easy to break through.
Alarm Systems
- Establish procedures that the household will follow in the event of an alarm or break in.
- Test the alarm system regularly to make sure that it is in good working order and your alarm company responds promptly.
Lighting
- Light up dark areas in the garden where intruders can hide.
- Motion detection lighting not only illuminates the intruder, but also alerts you to activity outside.
Perimeter Walls & Fences
- While walls and fences provide a small measure of security and degrees of privacy, they also shield intruders from outside observation and provide hiding places for an ambush or hijacker.
- Poorly constructed walls or fences could present an intruder with a 'ladder' into your property. Anti-scaling devices may be necessary. Any “landing and launching” feature on or near the wall or fence must also be removed!