Shut thieving criminals out

17 Sep, 2021 - 00:09 0 Views
Shut thieving criminals out Stephen Chidhumo

Suburban

In this edition, the message is as clear as its title; shut thieves out, both figuratively and in real sense.

Jeremiah Mudonha

Robbing, mugging, defrauding, burglary, rustling, pick-pocketing or howsoever they do it, criminals deserve no entry anymore into our endeared spaces.

Our properties are our rights hence we jealously guard them. We are utterly infuriated and brought to tears as we increasingly behold untold suffering caused by these criminals.

Imagine losing your hard-earned treasures in a blink of an eye to people who do not care about the pain and struggles you went through to acquire them.

Recently, it dawned on me that criminals are so daring when I witnessed the aftermath of a debilitating break-in at a church in Harare.

The church coffers were emptied of all their sacred contents.

No wonder why the proceeds of crime are forever cursed.

It pains however that our cries for mercy and ceasefire to these heartless thugs seem to be falling on deaf ears.

Need l boldly say that their arrogance will sooner or later be met with the full wrath of the law. Ask Chidhumo and Masendeke.

Edgar Masendeke

In their selfish, get-rich-quick mentality, thieves respect no one albeit, the rich, poor, powerful or the weak.

The law enforcement authorities are no exception either.

And they steal virtually anything found within their target range; shockingly even babies in nappies or unthinkably empty stinking bins.

Please fellow residents, let’s keep watch and stay safe.

But our who’s, what’s, whys and all other questions may eternally go unanswered and worse still, the answers will never suffice to compensate for the already suffered damages.

But are we without hope in the face of these rising crimes against our property?
Surely not.
Using every opportunity at our disposal and acting before it is late, let’s emphatically shut these marauding criminals out of our premises, avenues and spaces.

How we can possibly achieve that goal?

Firstly, let’s shut criminals out of our houses, offices and any other premises by having strong, unbreakable or burglar-proof buildings, doors, locks etc.

I also implore you, dear reader that wherever possible, keep any unmonitored doors, gates and windows well-shut or locked.

If left open, it will be easy for burglars to enter, steal and exit unnoticed and or unhindered.

The worst you should never do is aiding criminals by giving them an easy passage into your home.

Again, in the wake of robberies, it is imperative to always keep your gates and exterior doors locked and only open them when absolutely necessary and only to people you know.

Shut out suspicious people coming to your houses in the guise of seeking help, peddling goods or seeking places to rent.

Be always sure of people whom you let in, lest you invite criminals.

Never assume that your house or community is safe from crime. Remember, thieves normally strike at least expected times and places.

Secondly, I encourage you, to adequately secure your homes through, among others, using security guards, guard dogs and or the installation of electric fences and security alarms which are commendably deterrent to any prospective criminals.

If need be, seek professional guidance on best security measures suitable for your premises. The better our security is, the more we tend to keep criminals at bay.

It has to be a mission impossible or access denied to any criminals trying some luck on you or your property.

Thirdly, employ a great deal of target hardening techniques.

This entails using all permissible tricks under the sun which make it near impossible for any would be criminals to steal from you. Normally, this comes from identifying what thieves may target.

There was once a time in our neighbourhood when burglars targeted plasma television sets.

I recall that the useful advice in hardening them was and is still to firmly fix the gadgets to walls through bars, chains and or lockable cages.

Try as much as possible, to lock, mark and or put the property of value under guard.
Harden it.

Think of removing thieves’ real or potential targets out of sight or reach. In security circles, this is called target removal.

Let the criminals find virtually nothing of value to steal.

Lock away every valuable before you travel or retire to bed. Cash, for example, should be locked away in safes or preferably banked.

Lastly, dear reader, shutting criminals out should be made a conscious community effort rather than mistakenly viewing it as an individual activity.

Decisively, join hands with others in your community to come up with viable security plans such as forming neighbourhood watch committees, employing street patrol officers and installing boundary security walls and alarms etc.

Importantly, to create sanity in our communities, should we not be sending criminals where they belong- to prisons, instead of hiding them?

We can do better than watching them terrorising our communities.

In conclusion, I hope you have taken a leaf from this timely piece of security advice.

Safety starts with awareness. This is however, not all that you should do but precisely the least that you can do to help you shut criminals out for a while.

Mind you, security is neither a product nor a once-off thing but a process.

Generally, our security requires pro-activeness, an informed strategy and due diligence.

Next time, instead of helplessly waiting for criminals to come your way, shut them out.

At the end of the day, as Jodi Rell says, the goal is simple: safety and security.
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