Newsletter/Blog


2015-08-27
CBAR- Newsflash July/August 2015


                                                                                                                                                                                         26thAugust 2015

Dear Valued Clients,

Crime and criminal acts have not only increased and evolved in recent years, but so have the perpetrators.  A break-in remains a break-in, but in years gone by, I believe that 95% of all crime was random and opportunistic and the other 5% organized.

Currently, I would estimate that at least 65% of crime is organized.  In other words, some thought and planning has gone into the crime committed by gaining information and intelligence on the prospective target.  Assume that criminals have access to computers and can obtain information from posts made by security companies, neighbourhood watches, Google earth pictures, awareness in the positioning of LPR cameras and all the other useful information out there.

The preconceived stereotypical criminal isn’t always wearing dark clothes and a balaclava (although they may be).  They are often well dressed, well-spoken and often drive very upmarket vehicles that have been stolen or hired from a car hire agency to commit the crime.  Basically this is called “urban camouflage” and this helps them blend in, especially into upmarket neighbourhoods.  CBAR receives calls daily, from clients or other members of the community reporting suspicious persons or vehicles.  Nearly always, because of our stereotyping, it’s an old make or model vehicle with a number of occupants inside.

Our officers who approach these vehicles and their occupants mostly find that they are painters, builders and sometimes people drinking or partaking in antisocial behavior within the vehicle.  On the other hand, some good arrests have been made from calls reporting suspicious vehicles and / or persons. 

However, the point is, don’t look past the clever criminals who have blended into the neighbourhood.  They are savvy, will be able to tell you why they are there, give you all the information that you require to make you feel at ease with their presence.

They may have found a letter sticking out of a letterbox outside a home, will look up in a directory the telephone number of the premises and if listed, call there a few times during the day to see if anyone answers.  They will have driven past, checking the perimeter security setup, such as high walls, palisade fencing, spikes, electric fences, dogs, cameras etc. and based on this, will make a decision whether or not it is going to be a target premises.

These criminals perform these intelligence gathering missions so as to avoid confrontation.  That is the reason the crowbar gangs have only been seen in action a few times, per chance, relative to the number of actual break-ins using this method.  Most situations where a confrontation has occurred, were probably due to the criminals making the mistake of thinking that all the occupants were out.

Again some of the more brazen and heavily armed gangs committing house / business break-ins are aware that in all likelihood confrontation may occur.  They are often in multiple vehicles and have a number of armed members involved in the act.

Homeowners should avoid behavior that attracts or draws criminals in.  Below are a few to be aware of;

Firstly, those posts on Facebook or Twitter with those current holiday photos, would clearly suggest that you are on holiday, indicating that your premises, in all likelihood is unattended.  With the latest technology, it is possible to set up camera systems that can be accessed via Wi-Fi, enabling the user to see their premises in real time, giving peace of mind that all is visibly in order at home or work.

Secondly, unkept, untidy gardens with lots of shrubbery and dark areas create a perfect space for criminals to hide, waiting until you return home at night to rob you or for them to hide whilst planning their break-in.

Thirdly, and one I that I have personally had an issue with, is what to do with all those empty boxes from the new electrical goods, such as TV’s, computers etc. that need to be disposed of.  Mostly people simply place these boxes next to their rubbish bin on the day of collection. They are clearly visible and anyone can see that that you now have a brand new plasma TV or music system.  Rather break these boxes into smaller pieces and try and place them into your bin, even if it is done over a 2 week collection period.

Fourthly, many homes have burglar alarms, which if well maintained will provide correct coverage throughout the premises, if the placement of sensors and detection equipment is adequate. Most homes however, do not have any surveillance equipment, i.e. cameras.  Even though alarms and cameras cannot prevent crimes from occurring, they definitely have a deterrent factor.  There is some brilliant footage of house break-ins and other criminal acts being committed, on the internet.  CBAR uses this footage to learn how criminals act before and during break-ins.

Lastly, the age old issue of leaving spare keys or your daily keys in and around the property.  There are still many people that leave a key under a mat, pot plant, stone etc.  so as to give domestic staff, or children access to the premises, rather than giving them the keys to hold onto.  Criminals do check, especially around the front door area for hidden keys. Rather, install a master lock (small metal unit fitted to the wall to place a key in and only accessible via a code) as a means to safeguard keys or a remote.  This is a far safer option than leaving a key “lying” around.

Hopefully the above will give you a better insight into how criminals think and operate.  By taking into consideration just a few security precautions, you will reduce the probability of yourself and your property falling victim to crime.

 

“Our City Bowl fleet operating in your area”

 

Should you wish to have a no obligation quote for the installation of camera systems or a master lock, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0860 151515 or via our website www.cbar.co.za.

Also please remember that CBAR has caller ID, displaying our number as 021 4621850.  Should you receive a call from this number, kindly answer as it may be an important call from our monitoring centre pertaining to your premises.

Please see our website for our latest crime statistics on www.cbar.co.za

 

CBAR, 24 hours a day, only minutes away!

 

Kind regards and best wishes

Alan Kusevitsky and the CBAR Team

 

 

 



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