Is your home as safe as you think it is?

The 2018 Victims of Crime Survey detailed that an estimated total of 830 000 incidences of housebreaking occurred in 2017/18, affecting 4,25% of all South African households. Is your home as safe as you think it is? Here are some practical tips to help improve the safety of your home.

1. Keep your house in tip-top shape

Let’s start with the basics, trim all bushes and hedges to ensure that your home is visible and criminals cannot break in “privately”. Repair all broken locks, windows and fences.

2. Don’t leave things that can be used to break in outside

Keep toolboxes, old metal, ladders and anything else that can be handy for a break-in locked away in the garage.

3. Keep valuables out of sight

Invest in a safe where you can keep all copies of keys, jewellery, important documents and other valuables. Dispose of boxes of expensive valuables discreetly so that criminals do not have a clue about the expensive goods you have at home from just looking at your trash.

4. Install a home alarm system

While they may be expensive, alarm systems are a good deterrent for criminals. Remember that criminals want to stay as undetected as possible, so a loud alarm can scare them off.

Multiply members qualify for a 20% discount on the recommended retail price on all new Fidelity ADT security installations, as well as a 20% discount on the recommended monthly retail suburb service fee. Members need to activate this benefit directly with Fidelity ADT.

5. Don’t accept unsolicited help

Many criminals pose as repairs service providers to gain entry into homes. If you have not requested the service of such a provider, do not give them access to your property.