Top cop shares his tips on how to stay safe

AS THE festive season draws nearer, national police commissioner General Khehla Sitole has warned the public to be constantly alert and avoid falling victim to criminals.

“It is common knowledge that the Christmas holiday period is traditionally a time for relaxation and festivities. But, unfortunately, it is also a period when complacency seems to set in and criminals become opportunistic,” said Sitole.

“This is also a period when there is a greater tendency of abuse of alcohol and drugs, ultimately resulting in the abuse of women, children and other vulnerable groups, aggravated robberies, assaults and an increase in carnage on our roads.”

Sitole said now that the season operations are in festive full swing, joint law enforcement agencies have been mobilised and resources have been prioritised, with a focus on high police visibility and planned operations across the country.

“The SAPS has, together with other security and government agencies, committed to ensuring a safer festive season to ensure that people are and feel safe,” said Sitole.

The police chief shared these tips:

Be aware of your surroundings and any suspicious-looking persons/behaviour.

Report any suspicious behaviour/activity in your surroundings to your nearest police station.

Don’t drink and walk/drive on public roads. |

TIPS ON SAFETY

The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric) has shared some tips to help stop cyber criminals connecting to your device:

Disable any wireless connection settings like Bluetooth, wi-fi, and NFC when you’re not using these.

Disable your push notification settings on your mobile devices if not needed.

After completing your transactions, ensure that you sign out of your online banking session and close your browser. If possible also power off your PC.

Clear the browser cache on your PC and mobile device regularly.

Do not log into a computer with administrator rights unless you must do so to perform specific tasks.

Ensure that all personal wi-fi networks are password-protected and all necessary security settings are enabled.

Do not use easily hacked security configurations like WEP, use the more recent and secure configurations.

Avoid sensitive transactions on public wi-fi networks.

Don’t send passwords or account login credentials over public or unsecured wi-fi networks.