[Note that although Police claim robberies are down, a security company managing director says there is evidence of more robberies. Jan]

Police and security companies are advising all home owners to ensure that their homes are secure, following a recent new trend in housebreakings.

Although there has been a decrease in housebreaking around Durban, those that do occur take place during the day while home owners are at work.

Police spokesperson Inspector Michael Read said that while sector policing and crime awareness programmes had done wonders to bring down the number of housebreakings, home owners were advised to ensure that their properties were secure at all times.

According to Frans Davidtz, managing director of Enforce Electronic Security, there has been a “marked increase” in the number of daytime alarm activations in residential areas in the last four to six months.

“This activity is occurring in all areas across Durban, but particularly in areas where there is building and construction activities,” he said.

“The type of activity that we are noticing is opportunist in nature and includes break-ins into outbuildings, garages, garden sheds and so on.

There has also been an increase in theft out of motor vehicles when cars have been parked on verges and in driveways.”

Davidtz added that there had been an increase in the number of alarm sales recently.

“In our experience, most people only invest in security after they have been robbed. This therefore also indicates to us that there is a general increase in burglaries,” he said.

Davidtz said it was a proven fact that areas that participated in security schemes such as bicycle or vehicle patrols had a significant reduction in the incidence of crime.

He advised home owners to install burglar gates between living and sleeping areas of their homes to protect their families in case of a burglary, as well as to keep big dogs outside their homes as a deterrent and small dogs inside as “early warning systems”.

Other tips included training dogs never to take food from strangers; making a show of switching on lights if noises are heard at night; and refraining from going outside to look for intruders.

“Lock yourself in your room and be prepared to defend yourself if the intruder comes to you,” he said.

Jason Margach, managing director of ADT Security, said more than 500 calls were responded to daily by the company.

He said the company had changed its vehicle stand-off points and the number of vehicles concentrated in particular areas in order to counteract certain trends which had been identified as potential problems.

“Housebreaking can be a problem during the day, in all areas, because would-be burglars know that their victims are at work,” he said.

“We strongly suggest that residents implement basic safety measures and ensure that their alarm systems are in good working order.”

Margach added that crime was “ever present” and that it worked in cycles, with certain suburbs more prone than others.

He said home owners needed to test their alarm systems on a monthly basis, have their alarms serviced at least once a year, replace alarms with new equipment, never give employees the security password, and never employ strangers.

This article was originally published on page 6 of Daily News on May 12, 2005

Source: Independent Online (IOL)
URL: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click…/p>