Benoni SAPS spokesperson Lieut Nomsa Sekele provided the following safety tips for use over the festive season:
- Be careful with whom you discuss your trip, as not every person is trustworthy.
- Be careful of what is discussed in front of staff.
- Know your neighbours.
- Make provision for good outside lighting – outside lights that are on during the day draw the attention of criminals.
- Mail left in the gate for long is a sign that nobody is at home. Get a friend to keep an eye on your property and remove mail and newspapers.
- Curtains should be closed after dark to prevent criminals from observing the activities inside the home.
- Conduct a thorough background check before employing anyone. Request a copy of their identity documents and make a copy for safekeeping. Check their references and do a security clearance at a police station.
- Never leave keys in the lock or gate.
- Do not leave a ladder standing around.
- Inform the police of any suspicious characters you consider to be a threat.
- Do not play the hero; value your life.
- Know all your emergency numbers.
The Benoni SAPS also gave the following advice to follow if your house has been broken into:
- Contact your nearest police station.
- Wait until fingerprints and statements have been taken before touching anything.
- Unless it is obviously necessary, don’t allow private security company personnel or anyone else to enter the house or to touch anything before the police have investigated the scene.
- Look for strange footprints in the garden and point them out to the police.
- A list of the make, model and serial numbers of electrical appliances and other valuable equipment should always be available for investigation purposes.
The Benoni Police Station may be contacted on 011 747 0000.
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