ADT Security issued a call to all South Africans to become involved in their local community safety groups to keep their suburbs crime-free, the company’s inland regional manager said, “If we stand together with our next-door neighbours and look after each other, we can make our suburbs are no-go zones for criminals.”
Kotze added that if you moved into a new suburb you should make the effort of meeting your neighbours and share contact details with them. They could provide useful information on existing community safety organisations in the area.
“If you don’t have a community watch, we suggest setting up regular meetings with the local Saps to workshop ideas on how you could assist them in keeping the area safe. It could be as simple as just sharing tips and advice and having a reliable list of contact details for each other. The point is – we all have a part to play and we simply can no longer be idle bystanders when it comes to our own safety,” said Kotze.
He urged residents to become involved with community organisations and the involvement could take many forms such as becoming a patroller or offering monetary or logistical admin support.
Kotze said knowing who lived in your area and engaging the community often led to a combined security implementation that had a greater impact. He added that it was also very important to introduce your children to your neighbours. You can, for instance, agree to keep an eye on each other’s children when they are playing in the garden, and teach your children to go over to one of your neighbours if they are home alone and feel unsafe.
He added that it was a good idea to write down the names and numbers of one or two of your neighbours on your list of emergency contacts.
“The men and women of the South African Police Services simply cannot be everywhere all the time. Neighbours that care about each other and become active participants in the safety of their suburb can make a massive difference,” concluded Kotze.
Read up on other advice given by Theunis Kotze:
