10 checks to do for security
SECURITY company Fidelity ADT has provided 10 important things to note when evaluating how secure your property is.
When Police Minister Bheki Cele released the third quarter crime statistics (October-December 2022) in February, he revealed that property related crimes increased by 7.2%.
These included burglaries at residential and non-residential properties, theft of motor vehicles and out of motor vehicles.
Fidelity ADT marketing and communications group head, Charnel Hattingh, said that while it was the job of the police to prevent, combat and investigate crime, citizens had to do their part.
“Many more serious crimes take place in a home environment, including sexual assault and murder, if an intruder is able to gain access. Your best defence is to keep criminals out with proper security systems, ”she said.
Hattingh said that a good exercise was to try to break into your home yourself. “Homeowners must take responsibility for the safety of their family and possessions by regularly evaluating how secure their property is,” Hattingh said. “If you’re able to easily break into your own home, it may be time to get an expert evaluation of your security systems and do the necessary beefing up.”
Here are a number of important things to note when evaluating how secure your property is:
♦ Perimeter. A properly secured perimeter of walling or palisade enhanced with electric fencing and a good gate is your first line of defence.
♦ Locks. All locks should be of strong, good quality.
♦ Burglar bars and security gates. These need to be strong and of good quality, too. Criminals know all the tricks when it comes to security gates and burglar bars that are flimsy.
♦ Doors. Inspect all exterior doors to make sure the door frames are strong, the hinges are protected. If you have a mail slot, make sure nobody can reach in through this and unlock the door. If you move into a new house, change the locks. Reinforce your doors with things like deadbolts, smart locks or a video doorbell.
♦ Windows. Make sure the latches are of good quality and install sensors and burglar bars.
♦ Lights. Ample outdoor lighting is important. Think motion-sensor lights, solar lights and smart lighting. If you have lights at your entrance gate, ensure these are always working too.
♦ Hiding places. Trim trees and bushes close to the house to give you more visibility of the property.
♦ Put things away. Don’t leave garden furniture, ladders, bicycles and the like outside. These should always be securely stored away and outside gates and sheds should be locked.
♦ Add cameras. Security cameras enable you to quickly determine what is happening on your property in real time if you are not there. You can also easily send footage to your security provider. Cameras should have motion detection.
♦ Get automated. You can remotely or on a schedule control lights, smoke alarms, security cameras and other safety devices, as well as get real-time alerts.