Residents are warned of an alarming rise in the number of house robberies in the Kempton Park area.
According to Fidelity ADT, this week alone there have been 14 robberies in Norkem Park and 19 in Birchacres. Incidents are mainly occurring between Tues – Friday from 12:00 and 16:00 and then later in the evening from 20:00.
Renee Coltham, Fidelity ADT Community Development Manager says much of the crime seems opportunistic. “We can see that in a number of instances people have forgotten to arm their systems, or put on their beams. There is also a worrying trend of gates being left open. That is a problem as it is a home owner’s first line of defence. In other instances, we have found that criminals find a weak point in the perimeter security where the electric fence is not working or the gates are not locked for example.
“Fortunately these criminals appear to be in and out for easy pickings but there is always the worry of personal injury,” she says.
“In our experience we have found that security measures like electric fences, detection beams and Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) are still key deterrents to crime, as are pets. For homeowners small dogs that sleep inside the house are seen as a deterrent. How secure your neighbourhood is, is also a meaningful factor. If robbers are scouting carefully they will view regular patrol and a strong neighbourhood watch system as a good reason to move on,” she says.
“It is equally important that domestic staff always keep security gates on doors locked – they may not hear an intruder over the noise of the vacuum or know that someone has entered the house while they are in the backyard. The alarm system must always be armed when they leave the house; even if it is only for a few minutes.”
“The bottom line is you always need to remain vigilant. Act as if you are being watched and take all necessary precautions. Your security starts with having the correct domestic and gardening employees who are well vetted and au fait with your security protocols, to having the right security measures around your home; to living in a community that supports and has good security protocols,” she concludes.