Fidelity ADT has issued a warning to Bloemfontein residents living in security estates to remain vigilant.“In the past month we have seen an increase in house break-ins in the Bloemfontein area, Specifically in Basewater, Noordhoek, Helicon Heights and Pentagon Park areas.” The incidents typically occur in the early hours of the morning between 01:00 and 05:00.

Charnel Hattingh, Group Head of Marketing & Communications at Fidelity ADT, says it is so important for everyone to remain vigilant and report suspicious behaviour. “Living in an Estate doesn’t mean that we can leave doors and windows open because there is security in the complex. The perception is often that very high walls and fancy entrances to complexes deter criminals, but this is not always the case,” says Hattingh.

She stresses that the bottom line is that even in a secured complex, there is always a risk of burglaries and theft from inside and outside the complex and everyone needs to remain vigilant and responsible for their personal security.

“This is particularly true of complexes that are not fully let or where construction workers are still present. “Residents and domestic staff,” says Hattingh, “need to be part of the contingency planning, conducting regular security drills and monitoring of security systems. They also should not be complacent thinking that the complex security is enough. We highly recommend that residents have alarms and other security measures in place in their individual units. It is not uncommon to hear of cases where criminals have moved into complexes posing as residents and then break into houses before moving out with their stolen goods.”

Five top security hints for domestic staff to remember:

• Never let in strangers in unless you have verified who they are. • Always keep your panic button on you at all times, especially when going outside to hang up the washing.Remember to test your panic button regularly.• Lock the door behind you when going outside and do not put up a fight if suspects get into the house, especially if they have a weapon.• Know how your house alarm works and test your alarm regularly too. • Always have contact details available and make sure you can reach the homeowners in the event of an emergency.

“Also ensure everyone has emergency numbers . Let’s all make the effort to keep our employees, homes and neighbourhoods safe,” she concludes.

PREPARED ON BEHALF OF FIDELITY ADT BY CATHY FINDLEY PR. CONTACT JACQUI MOLOI WITH ANY QUERIES ON 0717648233 OR EMAIL JACQUI@FINDLEYPR.CO.ZA