You may have insurance, but a burglary can really dampen a great holiday. Security companies advise homeowners to take extra precautions when they are going away. Alerting your security company that you are away is a good move, because they will be more likely to check up on alarms going off and will schedule extra patrols to the house. But the SAPS says that people may rely too much on their security companies without taking the basic precautions. East Rand police spokesperson Lieutenant Andy Pieke said that many housebreakings were committed by opportunistic criminals. "If a house looks empty and there is no activity and a window is open, then they will attempt to break and enter. It is better to leave no opportunities for them," he said.
- The SAPS publishes a list of tips on its website for homeowners. It advises homeowners to keep a list of valuables. This entails the make, model and serial numbers of items most likely to be stolen, which helps with insurance claims and with retrieving the items.
- The SAPS advises homeowners to have good lighting on the property - timed and sensor-activated lights are better than lights that are left burning during the day.
- You should notify close relatives and neighbours of your contact details and when you will be away so they will be aware of any strange activities in the home. The neighbours may also be more alert when the alarm goes off.
- Organise for post to be collected by the neighbours and for dogs to be fed by a trustworthy person. A house-sitter should observe the usual routines and be aware of safety procedures.
- Never leave keys under a mat or in a pot plant for friends to come and check on the house or to water pot plants, as this is an open invitation to burglars.
- Lock the tool shed, as burglars can use these tools to force open doors and bend open burglar bars.
- Leaving a radio on gives the impression that there is someone at home, so do this as a deterrent.
- Richard McGhee, the sales and marketing director of ADT Security, reminded people to check that their alarms were functioning properly. "People tend to forget that an alarm system, like a car, has parts that age and wear out and therefore should be serviced at least once a year." He said the thunderstorms that have been occurring could also damage systems. Insurance companies will want to know if the alarms were working. He said: "Test your alarm in off-peak hours (between 8am and 4pm or after 8pm) and if a fault is discovered, it should be immediately reported to the security service provider's technical team."
- McGhee said people should not advertise their absence by leaving messages on the answering machine to that effect, or leaving notes on the door.
- He advised people never to leave a key within sight of a window that had breakable panes. Sliding doors could be made secure by placing a piece of timber cut to size in the sliding rail.
- Jewellery, passports and guns should be locked in a secure safe and the keys should be taken with you.
- Make sure you leave your home with peace of mind, knowing you did everything to ensure your home was safe.
This article was originally published on page 9 of Pretoria News on December 13, 2007, and was reproduced on the IOL Website here