How to avoid becoming a statistic this silly season

Dr Johan Burger joined the ISS in 2006 as a senior researcher in the governance, crime and justice division. He served in the SAPS for 36 years, the last 9 of which was served as Assistant Commissioner (Major General) and head of operational coordination at the headquarters in Pretoria.

 

Listen as he dishes out some important safety tips on how to stay safe and what to look out for with regards to criminal activities this festive season.

 

Things you can do to protect yourself from becoming a “holiday burglary” victim:

Criminals prefer that you are not home and look for indications that people are away, so do not make it obvious that your house is empty!

 

Protect yourself by making sure that:

• Your garden is cared for while you are away.
• Get a friend to remove your post/newspapers instead of having them pile up in your post box.
• Have somebody that you trust enter your property to switch the lights on and off to avoid total darkness in your house while you are not there.

 

However, the more experienced criminal prefers that tenants are on the property due to the fact that they will have greater access to a wider variety of valuables, so please lock the doors and windows and protect yourself and your loved ones from becoming a statistic this silly season.