Student safety tips

Commune safety: students urged to take precaution

A recent robbery of student accommodation in Brixton has once again highlighted the importance of safety awareness for students across all university campuses.

According to Charnel Hattingh, National Marketing and Communications Manager at Fidelity ADT, criminals are particularly interested in students because they tend to have laptops, smartphones and other gadgets which are light and portable and easy to convert into cash.

Hattingh says, “We are urging all students and residents living in shared accommodation to be security conscious at all times.”

In this latest incident this month, three male suspects opened an unlocked pedestrian gate of a student house and proceeded to the back of the property where they entered through an unlocked back door. They entered the house and threatened the eight students who were inside with screwdrivers. They took multiple TV’s and cellphones and fled the scene.

She offered the following safety tips to remember:

Always ensure that access to a property from the street is secured and locked.
As far as possible, ensure that doors and windows are secured with burglar bars and gates, and not left open.
Be proactive about security to prevent being a victim of crime.
Watch for people following you. Do not use your cellphone in the street. Keep valuables like cellphones and money hidden whilst walking to and from campus and to the shops.
“Living with a number of people may offer a sense of false security, please be extra vigilant. Make sure you are security conscious at all times. Lock up properly, watch that you are not being followed when you return home and set your alarms. Speak to all the residents if you are staying in a commune about the importance of security at this time. In addition, please report any suspicious individuals or behaviour to the SAPS or security companies. We need to work together to catch these gangs and bring a stop to this crime,” says Hattingh.