As criminals continue to shift and change their patterns and behaviour it is essential that homeowners keep up with trends and better ways to secure their homes, said Charnel Hattingh, from Fidelity ADT.
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In line with the energy crisis, more homeowners are investing in energy-savvy products which have become appealing to criminals.
A new trend is emerging where criminals are targeting solar panels.
“Over the past few weeks we have received reports of solar panels being stolen from properties, typically during the day whilst homeowners are at work,” said Hattingh.
In order to stay one step ahead of opportunistic criminals it is important to make your home less of a target by making it as hard as possible for criminals to successfully carry out their plans on your property.
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Hattingh offers these safety tips:
• Ensure that your yard is well lit at all times.
• Always have barrier security installed such as an electric fence, beams, sensor lights, burglar bars and interior detection.
• Lock tools and garden equipment away. Don’t let your stepladder be the means by which criminals get onto your balcony or roof.
• Never leave your wheelie bin out overnight as criminals not only use these to climb on, they also use them to transport stolen goods in.
• Cut away excess shrubs and bushes as this serves as a good hiding spot for criminals.
• Always keep your alarm armed. Make use of the different features your alarm offers.
• Join your local neighbourhood watch and street WhatsApp groups.
• Having visible armed response signage can also serve as a deterrent.
• Installing quality CCTV cameras around your premises will help SAPS with investigations and will also deter opportunistic criminals.
Remain vigilant and do not leave anything to chance.
If you see anything suspicious in or around your neighbourhood report it immediately to your private security company and local SAPS.
In addition, it is vital that all incidents are reported timeously to the police so that they can be logged as crime statistics.
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“Crime statistics help the police strategise and allocate the appropriate resources to suburbs, in conjunction with private security companies and other stakeholders, to protect lives by better managing crime, curbing trends and equipping the justice system,” said Hattingh.
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