Upcoming Domestic Watch meeting topics
Be weary of all signs as criminals could be marking your home.
MULBARTON – The Domestic Watch Motto is “Let’s stop being victims and start taking proactive action, doing the right thing, reading the signs so we can save a life!”
Please take note of upcoming meeting dates, times and venues for Domestic Watch meetings in May in the South.
The topic for the month is: “Crime Signage” and a stack of actual signs used are included in the written lesson handout and some aspects of this critically important lesson are as follows:
Obviously criminals use signs to tell each other about their crime prospects in a property.
“Sometimes we are not aware that signs are being used. Crime signs change according to the criminal syndicate and areas in South Africa,” said coordinator and writer of the crime prevention lessons, Penny Steyn.
Actual messages/ signs included in written lesson handout tell criminals: There are a few houses being robbed in that street, there are dogs, two old people, how many people in the house.
Colours can mean: occupants can defend themselves, somebody at home, nobody at home, marked to break in, easy target, the direction they should move, somebody in the house prepared to help you, stock theft in farming communities i.e. chicken, cattle, sheep etc.
Be careful of any signs even from animals and birds as they can tell you what is going on.
Other signs: boss at home, boss not at home, foot prints.
What you must do with strange objects: criminals use chalk markings outside homes to help other criminals target the rich and vulnerable. Police investigated whether sinister symbols are used to identify the addresses of elderly people.
“We always ask the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity or signs to the police, with this information the police will investigate,” concluded Steyn.
