A brazen armed robbery at Hyde Park Corner in April this year has highlighted the importance of knowing what to do to stay safe in the case of a mall robbery, after six armed men robbed a luxury boutique, getting away with thousands of Rands worth of stock.
READ MORE : UPDATE: Suspects who broke into Boutique Haute Horlogerie at Hyde Park Corner arrested
Bystanders at the scene said customers lay down on the floor when a gunshot rang out in the mall, and waiters at a nearby restaurant dropped food as they fled to safety. Fortunately no one was injured during the heist. Generally these robbers are armed, so if one is ever caught in the middle of a heist it is essential to stay calm. Fidelity ADT advises customers always to be on the lookout for any suspicious activities and to be aware of the people around them.
If you do find yourself caught in a mall robbery, Stuart Clarkson, Managing Executive Fidelity ADT, provides the following advice if you are in the store that is being robbed:
• Co-operate with robbers for your own safety. Listen to their instructions closely and follow them.
• Try to keep as calm as possible. Everyone reacts in a different way but try to breathe deeply until help arrives.
• Do not use your cellphone while the robbery is in progress, as this could agitate the assailants.
• Immediately try to find a sheltered spot and keep low on the ground.
• Take note of the assailants to pass information on to the authorities, i.e. what they were wearing, any distinctive clothes, markings, jewellery. Try to remember what they look like, i.e. height, weight.
• Ensure your children are kept close to you at all times. Do not let children wander off while you are shopping.
• Do not shop with large amounts of cash or valuables.
If you are not in the store being robbed:
• Speak with the store personnel to firstly close the roller shutter doors. This is also standard operating procedures in many malls. Move to the back of the store where you are out of sight.
• Try to find a store close to you and secure yourself as described above.
• Do not try to exit via the standard entry and exit points, as these are the same points the robbers will be using. Many malls now have standard operating procedures to lock down the mall.
Clarkson said crime is becoming more sophisticated, with inside information playing an increasingly prominent role.
“Whether you were in the store being robbed, or just witnessed the incident in the centre, you should seek counselling, regardless of how you might feel. It often takes some time to experience and deal with the post-traumatic stress following such robberies,” he said.
Courtesy: Cathy Findley Public Relations.
Also Read:
Armed robbery at NWJ in Mall of the South
BREAKING NEWS: Two shot in armed robbery at the Glen Shopping Centre
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