Heading to the beach or public pool? Leave your valuables at home

BEACHES across the country will still see lots of activity even though summer has made way for cooler weather. If you are planning a visit to the beach or even a municipal or public pool, rather leave your valuables at home. Charnel Hattingh, group head of Communications and Marketing at Fidelity ADT, shares simple security tips when you are at the beach or at the public pool that can help ensure your memories are positive and happy ones. 

“Armed response officers who patrol areas close to beaches regularly report incidents where opportunistic criminals have stolen items from beachgoers. These kinds of incidents sadly happen very quickly – all it takes is someone dropping their guard for a short while,” he said. 

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“Criminals are always looking for easy targets. They are attracted to people who appear to be distracted or not focused on their surroundings, which allows them to quickly grab an unattended item before disappearing.”

Hattingh suggests the following tips to avoid being a victim of criminality: 

• Leave it at home

You really don’t need to bring your expensive electronic items to the beach. For example, instead of bringing your e-book reader, you can choose an actual book or magazine.

•  Lock it up

Consider beach bags that are easy to securely lock. This helps protect those items that you bring with you.

Also read: City opens more beaches

• Be alert

Yes, you may be hoping to relax but keep an eye out for anyone who appears to be loitering around you. If anyone or anything feels out of place, look for a lifeguard or a patrolling police officer to assist you.

• Safety in numbers

There is a definite benefit to being among friends or acquaintances that can look out for one another. It means one person can look after the bags while the others go for a swim.

• Lock your car

When you park close to the beach, make sure your car is properly locked and all windows are closed. Do a quick check to see that no valuable items are visible to any passing pedestrians.

Hattingh urges anyone who has experienced a theft-related incident on the beach or public pool to report it to the SAPS.

 “Even if you are not planning to claim from insurance, it will help the police and security partners to get a proper picture of crime trends. We can also log any cars that are thought to be connected to incidents of crime on the Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) network so that the camera network can be on the lookout for these vehicles wherever they may move to.”

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