Personal safety tips

With the festive season approaching, we need to be crime conscious.

Here are a few tips:

• Never walk around alone and don’t talk to strangers. Be on the lookout for strange cars or people
• Walk in well-lit busy streets and in a group, if possible
• Make sure your home is secure and become a member of an armed response service. Be sure that you know all the emergency numbers or have them displayed in an accessible area
• Always let someone know where you are going and how long you will be gone. But think twice before advertising your impending absence on social media. Criminals also have access to Facebook and Twitter
• Know all the emergency numbers
• Trust your instinct
• Avoid going onto a congested street where you cannot even walk properly – that is where you will find criminals pickpocketing
• Avoid displaying valuables where criminals can see them.