The five suspects who were arrested for the kidnapping of 13-month-old Eden Laird in Brackendowns, were denied bail recently.
The incident has highlighted the need for parents to beef up their reference checks and security protocols.
Fidelity Security Community Development manager, Linda Reeder said your domestic staff are your home and family’s first line of defence.
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Security – an important consideration when looking for a new home
That’s why it’s particularly important that you hire staff who have been vetted, are trustworthy and competent.
Fidelity ADT provides the following five important security tips:
- Ensure you do the necessary background checks on domestic staff before hiring them. This may seem like a time consuming exercise but could make all the difference to your home and family security. Start with a criminal record check which can be obtained through the SAPS with the potential employee’s consent. Then do a reference check with several previous employers. Reeder advised asking questions about dismissals, responsibilities, any security issues, tardiness, and so on. It’s important to speak to more than one previous employer so you can get a good idea of the employee’s track record.
- Educate your domestic staff on security so they feel empowered. A vital responsibility is verifying who enters your property when you are not at home. Unannounced workmen or suppliers should not be let in and suspicious people or activity should be reported to a security company or SAPS.
- Reinforce the message that nobody can be trusted. Whether you think you know someone well or not, the rule applies. You cannot trust anybody. Even if the domestic worker knows the person, it is never advisable to allow that person access into the main home or to stop and talk to anyone on the road when they are looking after a child.
- Encourage your domestic staff to exchange cellphone numbers with other domestic staff at properties adjacent or opposite so that you can alert each other of suspicious people or vehicles.
- Consider enrolling your domestic staff in local crime-prevention forums which take place in most neighbourhoods every month. These are often arranged by the SAPS or community members and teach domestic workers valuable crime-prevention and safety tips.
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