Think like a criminal to keep yourself safe

 Home invasion robberies can occur at any time of day. In many cases, criminals prefer to attack when the occupant is home or arriving/leaving the premises because the residential alarm is off and the occupant can identify where valuables are kept.  Nobody is immune to being a victim of crime, and unfortunately not even state of the art security systems can keep a determined criminal at bay.

 

On 23 July, four armed men gained entry to Dawie Roodt's Pretoria East security estate by threatening his daughter Danielle with a panga and a revolver when she arrived for a visit at the house to see Roodt, his wife Marina,  and their twin toddlers. The family was then tied up and held at gunpoint, while the house was ransacked.

 

Today The Complimentary Breakfast took Dawie’s traumatic incident and used it as a case study to gain some insight into home invasion robberies and what you should be looking out for to spot those “not so obvious” gaps in your security checklist.

 

Top Cop and security expert, Bushie Engelbrecht, as well as Dr Chris De Kock, who headed up the SAPS crime and information analysis centre for over 18 years before retiring last year, were called in to share their expert opinions and had the following to say on thinking like a criminal to keep yourself safe:

Image credit: Theana Breugem

 

Top safety tips to start using today:

- If you live in a complex, question whether the security guards at the main gate search the vehicles that are exiting and entering the premises. This will ensure that criminals will not exit the property with stolen goods.

- If you have an electrical fence surrounding your property, consider these two things: is it switched on, and how accessible is the electrical box to the ouside public.

 

- Security doors, cameras and monitors will capture any unwelcomed activity in your house, but again, ensure that they are active.