House break-ins on the rise in Chiawelo

The Moroka Police have been recording a high number of house breaking in almost all the suburbs which are policed by the Moroka police station.

Most of these house breaking are happening during the day when the owners or occupants of the houses are at work, or children at schools.

Criminals are monitoring the movement of the house occupants when they are leaving to work they then enter and commit house breaking. More than 14 to 20 or more house breakings are registered in a period of seven days.

Items like the LCD TV, cell phones and small appliances are the most targeted, because they are easy to carry and they are also in demand by buyers.

There are contributing factors when coming to house braking in Soweto Among these factors are the following;

• Residents are reluctant or not prepared to invest in the security of their houses, minor security like a installing a burglar door gate which is of a high quality
• Installing window burglar proof
• Installing a proper wood or steel lockable doors, not a door that is close only and not lockable
• A proper gate that is strong and a good fence or wall

Other factors that contribute are that there is no neighbouring, in the township. Neighbours are not talking to each other and are not eyes and ears of their neighbours.

People will leave during long holidays to other provinces without leaving someone in their houses which does not have a proper security. They still use a bricks, or chairs at night to lock their house doors.

People still goes to bed without checking that their doors, gates, burglar gates, and garage doors are properly locked. They leave children watching television and go to sleep without locking doors. People still put the door key under the dust bin or door mat.

When they hire a new room do not change the lock knowing very well that the owners children and the previous owners know the key number and possibly they may also have a duplicate key.

What to do when you are a victim of house break:

• Do not temper with the crime scene by touching too much where the suspect has left behind his or her finger prints
• Report immediately to the local police station and expect finger print expert to visit you, very soon possible within 24 hours
• Record the serial numbers of your home content items like television, computers, laptops, etc
• Visits places where they sell second hands goods around your area, in most cases criminals sells these items in second hand goods shops, for fast cash, for example, Cash Crusaders and more

When you identify your property there do not fight with them because in most of the time they are working with the criminals.

Go straight to the police station and request police to accompany you.

Make some identification marks on your tv, laptops, computers, where it is not easy to be spotted by the criminals, but is only known by you.