Suburban
Jeremiah Mudonha
Ignorance is our greatest enemy which accounts for the majority of tragedies of all human experiences.
Research by one renowned German institution in security studies, Vardik Criminology Centre shows that 70 to 90 percent of people who fall victim to crime are ignorant either of the existence of the crime experienced or the modus operandi used by the criminals.
There are many things we can blame for falling victims to crime but ignorance is the major cause of such predicaments.
Yes, I mean nothing but sheer lack of knowledge and information.
Having wrong or shallow information still qualifies to be called ignorance.
In fact, ignorance is the basket case for all conditions characterizing want of knowledge: unlearned, uninformed, unaware etc.
My point is that an ignorant person is more vulnerable to crime and lacks the much-needed intellectual ideals to prevent, resist or fight crime.
Ignorance equates to total darkness or utter blindness that mercilessly obliterates both hindsight and foresight.
In the mask of ignorance, people can’t read between the lines.
Consequently, ignorant people unknowingly fall into traps set by marauding criminals, no matter how rich, mighty or clever they are.
Like deep sleep, ignorance holds people captive only to release them mostly after the crime has had its toll on them and usually when the assailants would have long disappeared.
People used to be swindled of fortunes through being sold fake, non-existent stands by dubious estate agents.
May I also draw you retrospectively to a time when mobile money facility was introduced.
Many people were duped in broad daylight by fraudsters using fake and doctored confirmation messages.
Also imagine the current scourge of street dealers who fraudulently sell you anything from phones to drivers’ licences and passports for a quick buck.
Sadly, our people sheepishly fall into all these and other traps.
It all takes a knowledgeable, clear-minded person to avoid, evade or arrest these crimes.
Our level of ignorance determines the extent to which criminals take advantage of us.
Ignorance is the greatest cause of misplaced priorities, ill-informed decisions and warped judgments.
Likewise, the majority of decisions made out of ignorance are fraught with blunders and cutting corners resulting in preventable crimes.
For example, incidents of mob-justice related killings would be avoidable if at least people were aware of their illegality.
I also attribute our failure to join or form neighbourhood watch committees to ignorance on the initiative or its benefits.
If you knew how it is effectively saving communities from crime, you would think otherwise.
I once heard my neighbour arguing that he can’t join or take part in neighbourhood watch committees because it is the police’s duty to patrol our locality. How can police be everywhere, every time?
Worldwide, there is no such police with enough manpower and resources to guard or cover all houses, streets and areas.
I once told my ever-travelling friend in Borrowdale to hire a security guard and he pooh-poohed the idea.
True to my words, his house was ransacked by criminals hardly two months after my word.
He later phoned me apologizing for not heeding my advice but it was late.
Ignorance costs more than education.
The highest form of ignorance is to reject the thing you do not know anything about.
It is also terrible to be ignorant of our ignorance.
Lastly, ignorance is perpetuating our security problems.
It bleeds my heart to see how we continue to suffer from similar problems over and over again because of ignorance.
When will we learn, one may wonder.
Shouldn’t the fact that criminals are advancing in technology and psychology be a wake-up call for us to learn about how to stay safe.
Learn or lose.
It is said that if a man deceives me once, shame on him; if twice, shame on me.
Off be the shackles of ignorance from us!
Believe it or not, there are still many who are falling prey to fake money fraudsters and street employment agents.
Dear reader, I implore you to decisively seek knowledge about your security and crime prevention.
The message of crime prevention has to reverberate across our communities and become a song of the day.
It is time now that we form and join social media groups to alert one another on crime.
Ask, read and enquire about security to keep abreast with your local crime situations.
Sources of information are plenty to those willing to learn, both free and paid.
I have never seen anyone arrested for asking the police on crime prevention measures to employ for his or her safety.
I personally do that and it’s working.
Be informed on who the major culprits are, what methods they are mainly using and what their targeted properties are. Importantly, it’s necessary to know what ways to use in preventing the crimes, both as individuals and communities. Next time, dear reader, when you hear authorities doing crime awareness campaigns, take time to listen to their messages.
It is for your own safety and security.
Before you do anything in future, seek expert knowledge on security and always stand guided by security knowledge.
Ignore knowledge and information at your own peril.
Smart, security-conscious people love to learn.
Again, remember it’s never too old to learn; never too late to turn.
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