Bonnie Friedman of the Domestic Crime Watch Portfolio Committee, once again highlighted issues revolving around crime in Sun Valley and surrounds, and also gave a discussion on criminal profiling.
Friedman advised domestic staff to be careful of what they say in the company of friends and strangers outside of the workplace, as any information they may reveal could make its way to criminal ears via the grapevine.
On the matter of criminal profiling, Friedman discussed a survey conducted by senior forensic investigation lecturer Prof. Rudolph Zinn of Unisa, which gives deeper insight to how criminals think and how willing they are to resort to violence during a house robbery. Although the survey was done in 2007, many of the conclusions were still deemed relevant.
The survey made the following key statements on house robberies:
- Most house robbers are aged between 19 and 26 years old and a staggering 97 per cent of them are always armed.
- One in three house robbers have murdered.
- On average, house robbers commit more than 100 crimes before they are caught.
- Those that he interviewed told him their modus operandi revolved around gathering intelligence (information) about their intended victims, often from unsuspecting domestic workers or gardeners and former employees.
- The biggest deterrent confirmed by robbers themselves, are small dogs that are kept inside the home. Electric fences, CCTV and detection beams are also considered to be deterrents.
- Alarm systems and armed reaction services are not considered as deterrents.
Constable Matome Tlamela of Midrand Police Station closed the meeting by encouraging residents and employees alike to always report suspicious activity to the station operations room on 011 347 1600/1/2/3.
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