Home and business security measures are critical over the festive season when crime spikes in many, if not most, areas. It’s a time when people let their guard down and perhaps become a bit less vigilant. It’s also a time when many leave their homes and offices empty and vulnerable.
Why does home and business crime spike at this time of year?
The December/January period is our longest holiday season of the year and is also a time when the crime triangle boxes are all ticked:
- Plenty of motivated criminals with a desire to commit a crime;
- Suitable targets or victims (empty homes or offices; loads of gifts worth stealing; new appliances and so on;
- The opportunity for the crime to be committed, usually a place (again, empty buildings packed with stuff worth stealing).
There are so many websites offering advice on how to avoid holiday crime, and in a strange spin on our perceptions of South Africa as being the only place where crime is rife, many of these sites are UK or USA based! So obviously we aren’t alone in worrying about home and business crimes over these holidays.
A shortlist of tips to secure homes and businesses
To make things easier, we’ve collected some of these ideas and put them together for you. So here are our top tips to minimise your chances of home or business crime over the festive period:
- Keep presents and valuables out of sight. Don’t advertise what you’ve bought by leaving empty boxes on the verge rather break them up and take them to the recycling dump.
- Mark your possessions with an ultraviolet pen or microdots so that they’re easily identifiable if stolen.
- Make sure you have security gates on all external doors and burglar bars on all windows. Close and lock these as well as your doors and windows and set the alarm every time you leave the premises even if it’s for a short while.
- Try to make your house looked lived in if you go away. Ask a neighbour to visit randomly and switch lights on and off, or install timers on lights. Arrange for your gardener to mow the lawn and someone to clear the post box regularly.
- Office buildings should be visited periodically. If you don’t have a security patrol, check up on it yourself.
- Know who has keys and the alarm code. This applies to homes and businesses. Change the locks if you’re uncertain who has access to the building.
If you need help with securing your home before the holidays, call in your nearest Trellidor franchise. You need to allow time for your Trellidor products to be ordered and installed before the festive season, so don’t delay.
