Johannesburg - Group Head of Communications and Marketing at Fidelity Services Group, Charnel Hattingh, shares safety practices for residential estates and complexes to prevent crime.
Hattingh says these safety habits play a major role in preventing crime and should be encouraged even if you live behind the walls of a residential estate or security complex.
“Residents often become complacent about their security and think that they can drop their guard the moment they drive through the estate’s gates. Sadly, this has led to cases where criminals grab valuable items through windows left open or gain access via sliding doors that were not locked, for example.
“We urge residents to remember that they still have a part to play in keeping themselves and fellow residents safe, even if they live inside the boundaries of a security estate,” says Hattingh.
It is reported that crime syndicates often target lifestyle estates precisely because those residents tend to become complacent about security.
Hattingh encourages residents to take the following personal safety habits into consideration:
Do not rely on perimeter security alone
While perimeter security measures have been successful in driving down crime in estates, residents still need to take precautions in their homes.
Check the references of your domestic worker and gardener
Very often, crimes within estates are carried out with the assistance of a domestic staff member.
Make sure you have properly checked your domestic worker’s and gardener’s references and educate them on keeping your home secure when you are not there.
Watch out if there is construction taking place
Having construction workers on site within estates has historically resulted in elevated crime levels. Whether this is a direct result of construction workers having access to the estate or because of the increase in traffic in and out of the estate remains a mystery. Take extra precautions.
Report suspicious behaviour
One of the modus operandi within estates is for a crime syndicate to move into a home for a while. During this time, they monitor the behaviour of residents and initiate house break-ins on the estate before moving out.
Be alert when entering and exiting the estate
Criminals have targeted residents leaving or returning to estates and hijacked them a few metres from the gates or followed them inside and robbed them by tailgating them as they entered the premises.
The reality is that people relax and become less and less alert the closer they get to home. Do not think that just because there is a security guard at the gate, you can become complacent.
Know your neighbours
Make sure you have the contact details for the homeowners next door so that you can reach them in case of an emergency or if you suspect that something might be amiss.
Keep the contact details for any security teams deployed on the estate close by so that you can contact them quickly in case of an emergency or if you notice suspicious behaviour.
The Star