Personal safety tips for residents

The Westdene Community Patrol – (WCP) recently issued some helpful personal and home safety tips for members of the community. WCP member Pierre Ungerier said, “It is crucial that the community stay vigilant in and around their environment,” he said.

The personal safety tips include:

– Residents should walk in well-lit busy streets and in a group, if possible.

– Make sure your home is secure, and become a member of an armed response service.

– Be sure that you know all the emergency numbers or have them displayed in an accessible area.

– Let someone know where you are going and how long you will be gone.

– Avoid going onto an extremely congested street, there may be pick pocketers.

Safety awareness tips at home include:

– A high fence around the house with lockable gates is much safer than a high wall due to improved visibility.

– Ensure gates are locked at all times and that the keys cannot be reached easily.

– Security gates with sturdy locks in front of each outer door as well as burglar proofing covering all windows, are recommended.

– Alarm systems, preferably connected to an armed response company, can act as an effective deterrent. In the rural environment a loud siren/alarm on the roof that can be activated by a button in the house, is recommended. A few switches/ panic buttons in different rooms of the house should be installed.

– Security lights on the outside of the house are good.

– Ensure that all outside doors are locked at all times and that windows are closed when you are not at home.

– If you leave your residence, inform your family/neighbours of your intended destination, time of return and route you will be driving.

– Ensure that tools such as axes, spades, picks and ladders that can be used in an attack, are locked away when you do not use them.