Security tips from the experts to help you and your family
There is a very real threat of becoming careless about personal security, despite it being a continued issue for many South Africans.
However, the mind of a criminal is no longer a mystery.
In his book, Home Invasion: Robbers disclose what you should know, Prof Rudolph Zinn gives inside info about how convicted perpetrators planned and executed house burglaries.
Zinn is a senior lecturer in forensic and crime investigation at Unisa.
Profiling perpetrators
Thirty research subjects who were interviewed during Zinn’s research conformed to the following:
• All were men, except for two women who were convicted as accessories
• They represented SA’s racial demographic profile
• 83% were SA citizens and the rest were from other African countries
• They were aged 19 to 26
• On average they would form a group of four during an attack
• Only 20% had completed high school
• 76% were unemployed but a number of these had chosen to make money solely from burglaries
• 80% had not received any type of military- or security-related training and the rest had been employed as security guards or worked in the police or military
• All were experienced criminals
• Each admitted to having committed approximately 103 crimes over a seven-year period before being arrested for the first time
• 70% came from what was described as dysfunctional or broken homes
• A distinctive characteristic was the willingness to use lethal violence against victims.
Why burglars burgle
• 97% stated the primary factor was economic gain
• 22% had also been involved in farm attacks
• 65% of what was stolen was spent on cars, clothes, drugs, and alcohol and 35% was spent on survival, i.e. food and rent
• The victims were targeted because of their wealth and other demographical factors such as race played no part
• A contributory factor was the existence of role-models in their communities who were criminals and were wealthy because of this
• 80% stated that their families, friends and acquaintance knew that they were involved in crime
• Residential robbery was chosen because it resulted in more money more quickly and chances of being caught were seen as very low
• All the perpetrators started with non-violent property crimes.
Choosing a target
• 63% would travel between 10 and 30 minutes by vehicle from where they lived to commit a residential robbery, however, most would travel for much longer if the target was deemed lucrative enough.
• 77% chose targets for whom they had some inside information
• They would prefer targets in neighbourhoods that had many entrance and exit points with easy access to main roads
• They would tend to focus on middle-class households.
Planning and executing
• They spent some time prior to the attack doing surveillance; this could be as little as 30 minutes
• 57% carried out residential robberies between 19:00 and 00:00, 14% between 03:00 and 07:00 and 7% between 10:00 and 12:00
• The most common way to access a property was to break in by forcing locks on gates or doors, breaking windows or disabling electric fences and climbing over the walls
• Some used exceptions to this by attacking houses where there were social functions as they could simply walk through gates or doors that were left open
• Beforehand they would try and identify the numbers and locations of everyone in the house
• They would spend anywhere between 30 minutes and four hours inside a house.
The use of violence
• All used violence or the threat thereof when entering a residence to overcome resistance from the victims
• 97% used firearms – they preferred pistols as these were easy to conceal and they liked the sound the weapon made when cocking it as this could intimidate victims.
• 67% admitted committing assault, 30% to murder, 13% to rape and 13% to torturing victims
• The torture most frequently mentioned was pouring boiling water or melted plastic on the victims or burning them with household instruments, like irons
• They would most likely target women or children for torture during a robbery to force the male or adult to provide the information they required.
Protect yourself
• Have a number of small dogs inside the house that will bark when they become aware of suspicious activity outside
• Teach them not to take food from strangers as perpetrators will not hesitate to poison them
• Install razor wire or electric security fences around the entire perimeter of the house
• Install pre-warning alarm systems such as sensors in the garden, along the outside walls, on the roof and in the ceiling
• Subscribe to an armed response service
• Install security lights outside, especially sensor lights in front of bedrooms
• Install CCTV systems and an intercom system
• Have layers of security as opposed to a single security system
• Install strong doors and security gates with good quality locks
• Install door alarms that are activated when residents are at home
• Ensure curtains are drawn at night to prevent perpetrators from identifying the movement in the house
• Set up a “secure room” to which residents can escape once they are aware of an attack
• Panic buttons should be placed where residents are most likely to need them
• Always check for signs of forced entry when entering or leaving your home
• Keep a copy of the ID book of any employees who have access to or work at the house including names and contact details of their relatives.
Minimising personal risk during a burglary
• Don’t make any sudden movements or noise
• Remain calm
• Keep your hands visible, but do not raise them above your head as the perpetrator could think you are signalling for help
• Demonstrate willingness to cooperate by either pleading for your life, or asking not to be hurt and saying that they can take what they want.
Source: Home Invasion: by Prof Rudolph Zinn (UNISA)