Following the recent fatal shooting of an alleged criminal at Leaping Frog shopping centre in Fourways on 21 February, chairperson of the Douglasdale Community Policing Forum Jean Berdou shared tips to follow should you become involved in a hijacking situation.
- Keep calm
- Do not be confrontational but be compliant with the hijackers and do as they say
- Try to engage with the hijackers and appeal to their humanity
- While in the unfortunate situation, try and memorise as much detail as possible, such as the hijackers’ facial features, physical appearance, clothes they are wearing, their voices and mannerisms
- Give the hijackers your car or car keys and appeal to them to let you go.
“It is important that community members know that nothing can replace a life and to always comply if you are at the hands of criminals, no matter what. The biggest goal is preserving life in such situations,” Berdou said.
Take the following steps, should you be set free:
- Get as far away as you can from the perpetrators once you are given the opportunity to run away
- Once you have run away from the hijackers and you cannot see them, call for help
- It is important to give full details to the police and notify your next of kin
- Get hold of your vehicle’s tracking company and let them know about the hijacking
- Make sure your vehicle’s tracking company communicates with the police
- Once you are in a place of safety, the next step is to receive trauma counselling and professional help to get over the ordeal.
“Being hijacked is a very traumatic situation for a person to be in or to go through, so community members are advised to try by all means not to be subjects of a hijacking. Be far more careful of where you park, avoid wearing expensive jewellery in public and avoid visibly displaying your valuables in your vehicles,” Berdou advised.
He said that in case your life is endangered and you have no other way to escape from hijackers, do whatever you can to defend and protect yourself.
Tweet us @Fourways_Review
