ACCORDING toLondoloza, a private security agency, house robberies have increased in Alexandra and surrounds .
The company has released security tips to prevent homes being targeted and guidelines on what to do if one becomes a victim of robbery:
A stray cool drink can in front of your property could be a marker for robbers
An upright Coke or Sprite can could mean that nobody is home. A Fanta can be a warning for robbers to be cautious as it wasn’t clear if homeowners were present
A pile of stones informs robbers of dogs on the property; while two big stones are indicators of two elderly people living in the house
Any blue and white packet signals that the homeowner is an easy target and that someone inside the house is willing to help with the robbery
- A white plastic bag stuck on a fence means there is an easy target in the house
- Chip packets weighed down with items, and one pointing to the house means the owner is at home. One facing the road means no one is home.
- A ‘Z’ painted on a stop sign or a swastika painted on the road means houses in the street are targeted for burglary
- q Strange items in front of your home could be a trap and you could be an target if you stop to remove them. Instead phone the police or your security company
- In some cases vagrants searching for scrap with their trolleys are scouts for robbers.
If you are a victim of an armed robbery, avoid putting lives at risk by not resisting:
- Relax, regulate breathing, speak slowly and do not raise your voice at the robbers who may lose control
- Don’t make any sudden movements, and if you want to do something, tell the robbers and do so slowly
- Don’t set off the siren unless you can do so secretly. Setting an alarm could trigger a violent response
- Don’t look the robbers directly in the face. They may believe you are trying to memorise their features for later identification and this could lead to them shoot you
- Give the robbers time to leave before taking any action
- If you are able to focus on one of the robbers, observe his or her height, build, clothing, special features such as a limp or birthmark, face and type of gun
- Remember any names mentioned by the robbers
- Remember what they touch, where they walk, any cigarette butts discarded and body fluids deposited
- Memorise details of the vehicle they use such as make, model, colour and registration number.
Do you have any tips to prevent house robberies? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
