It all starts at home

Information from Dr. Rudolph Zinn, author of Home Invasion – Robbers Disclose What You Should Know, has been published in newspapers, and reported during interviews on radio.

Although SAPS training has been improved, SAPS representatives are of opinion that only 7% to 19% of reported cases are resolved, which is far less than the international standard of 54%, due to a shortage of detectives.

It all starts at home, where 86% of criminals are not being reported by family and friends who are aware of their involvement in criminal activities. The public support these criminals by buying goods which may be stolen, creating a market for these “grey” products, and not reporting it to the SAPS. Therefore 95% of criminals get away with their crimes, of which 17% get away due to corruption within the SAPS.

Statistics have shown that non violent crimes reported, had decreased annually from 2.7 million to 2.1 million.

Unfortunately violent crimes had increased with

• 43% in the commercial / industrial sector
• 27.3% in the residential sector
• 10.9% in high jacking

Annual crime reports are approx. 685’000, but doubled during the past 5 years.

Type of criminal:

Criminals don’t have any morel system / standards. The typical criminal is between the age of 19 and 26 years. At this time they are already professionals, since they’ve got away with petty crimes during their first 10 years of their criminal career. During the first 10 years, they are normally involved in 103 incidents which involved serious crimes and 105 incidents which involved vehicle crimes. This typical behaviour is being supported by

• the 70% unemployment rate
• the increase in broken homes / divorce
• the decrease in grade 10 graduation
• the profitability factor

The younger the criminals’ criminal career start, the more violent the criminal will become when he reach adulthood. If the criminal is not caught during the early years, the criminal becomes confident, reckless and violent, therefore less sensitive about the victim, and becomes involved in high risk crime, e.g.

Step 1: Theft
Step 2: Vehicle Theft
Step 3: House Robberies
Step 4: Armed Robberies, e.g. house, bank, business, etc.

Planning of Robberies

1. The criminals are normally a team consisting of 4 people who observe the premises a couple of days to 2 weeks before the burglary. In farming communities, the observing period can be up to 2 months. The criminals are normally after cash and jewellery. Equipment with serial numbers is not favourable.
2. They gather detailed information and routine, and in 77% of the cases, the information has been received from an insider, e.g. employees, contractors, representatives under false pretence, security officers, etc.
3. The criminals plan their entry and exit to and from the premises.
4. Statistics of violent crime equipment (according to 30 interviews / 1000 cases) show
   • ➢ 67% with a pistol
   • ➢ 63% assault
   • ➢ 13% rape / torture, normally children and women, forcing valuable information
5. The criminal doesn’t like noise, and won’t like to attract the attention of the neighbours or passing vehicles, who would call for help, etc.

Considering Factors

The criminals consider the following factors when planning the robbery:

1. The premises must be an easy target. In 68% of cases the premises had no access control, security patrols, and / or visible security officers.
2. The premises must be approx. 10 to 30 min from where they live or work.
3. If the residential premises are equipped with a proper fence, outdoor beams, which is linked to an alarm system, the planning to enter the premises will be between
   • 17h00 and 23h00
   • 05h00 and 07h00
   during which time the alarm will be switched off, and the premises becomes an easy target. The criminals will hide in garages and / or store rooms, where tools are easily accessible.

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Discouraging Methods

The criminal is discouraged by

1. Small dogs inside the house
2. Proper fences
3. Alarms inside and outside the house, which creates uncertainty of possible silent activations, and leads to shorter criminal activities
4. Proper light outside

Preventative Measures

1. Secure your perimeter with a proper fence, lights, outdoor beams, CCTV camera and / or dogs.
2. Secure your house with an alarm system and dogs.
3. Arm your alarm system inside and outside when not on premises.
4. Arm your alarm system outside when inside your house.
5. Make sure that your employees are not giving out information.
6. Have your security company and –officers accredited periodically.
7. Be observant everywhere you go.
8. Be involved in your Community Policing Forum, etc.

PS: Security Complexes are normally well secured. The Security Complex Body Corporate must maintain the security equipment and have the security company and –officers accredited periodically. Unfortunately the individual unit in the security complex, is not always good secured.

Suspicious Noises and / or Someone on your premises

Don’t go out to look – that is what they want to gain access to your house. Rather phone your neighbour and / or armed response / SAPS to come and have a look.

During a Burglary

1. Don’t do anything which could look like self defence. Tell them that you will co-operate and make sure you tell them what you are going to do, before doing it.
2. Give your co-operation so they can leave your house ASAP.
3. Should you decide to use a fire arm, know how to use it, and make sure you are not killed in the process.

Security Service Providers

All Security Service Providers must be registered at the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority, also known as PSIRA, who governs the minimum wage of security officers as well as suggesting market pricing structures. Should the market ignore the suggested market pricing and contracts at a lower price, certain problems might arise, e.g. security officers are under paid, therefore being involved in “inside jobs” to make up for the money being short paid, etc., which result in an unsecure security environment.

Authenticate the companies’ CIPRO Reg. No. and PSIRA Reg. No. with the information on the PSIRA data base at www.psira.co.za.

Approx. 960’000 Security Officers are registered at PSIRA, and can also be authenticated on above website. The registration includes the storing of the security officers fingerprints on the SAPS database.

Unfortunately there is some Security Companies who is not PSIRA registered and / or employ security officers who is not PSIRA registered. Should you be aware of these fraudulent activities, it’s in everyone’s interest to report it to PSIRA, who will investigate the situations. The informed market has the tendency to work these unregistered companies and / or security officers, or companies and / or security officers who neglects their duties, out of the market.

Yours sincerely