March is an important month on the South African calendar. It honours the enormous sacrifices made by generations that have come before us, and the month reminds us of the responsibility we have to protect and preserve the freedoms they fought for.
Human Rights Day (and month) is a timeous reminder of our right to be safe and secure. It is a right we all enjoy, and therefore we should all be involved in protecting it,” said Charnel Hattingh, Head of Marketing and Communications at Fidelity ADT.
Her comments come on the back of crime statistics released by the police in February, which showed an increase in several categories of crime for the third quarter of the 2020/ 2021 financial year.
Police Minister Bheki Cele (on 19 February 2021) told journalists that these included murder (up by 6,6 percent) and sexual offences (up by 5 percent). Aggravated robberies also increased (by 7 percent) while police investigated 50 124 cases of assault during the quarter.
Hattingh said she understood why the Minister said these statistics “did not paint a good picture” but she believed this is exactly the reason why a collective effort was so urgent.
We cannot realistically expect to drive crime out of our communities if we don’t all work together. The best starting point is to make sure your family and your neighbours are safe,” she explained.
At home, this requires proper security measures being installed and tested regularly that offer the most effective possible protection, while also serving as a deterrent to keep unwanted visitors away.
“Once you have put this system in place, then turn your attention to your neighbours and other people in your street. Make sure you share contact details and keep an eye on each other’s homes; you are often the first people to realise if something is wrong next door, which makes you ideal to be the first one to raise the alarm,” said Hattingh.
South Africa has a long list of community safety and security organisations, which range in size and nature but all have one goal in common.
“These groups offer an organised platform for people to work together and keep their suburbs safe, and they need as much public support as possible. If there is not yet a group like this in your community, you can get the ball rolling by speaking to your armed response company or to the closest police station or Community Policing Forum,” said Hattingh.
It is also important that all incidents of crime are reported to police, no matter how big or small it may seem.
Police and security companies rely heavily on accurate information on crime trends, to deploy resources in an effective and efficient manner. Even if you are not planning to claim from insurance if someone broke into your parked car for example, please still let the police know,” said Hattingh.
“My wish is that we use Human Rights Day and this entire month to give thought again to what we can do better or different in order to stay safe. Please have this conversation with your loved ones and friends today, so that we can work towards a safer country for everyone.”
• References:
South African Police Service
