admin
The increase in housebreaking cases in Bulawayo should jerk residents into taking measures to prevent burglaries at their houses. Police report that housebreaking cases have increased in Bulawayo by about 16 percent to 2 594 between January and August this year from 2 241 for the same period last year. Police said most of the reported cases occurred in Njube suburb. We commend the police for intensifying patrols and awareness campaigns.
Residents should heed the police call to adequately secure their homes to make it more difficult for thieves to break in. Where money permits, residents should build security walls around their properties or fence them. Dogs also provide good security at a house.
Burglar bars on windows and door screens limit chances of a break in.
Installing alarms is another option. It might seem expensive to install these security systems but the investment is worth the trouble. Nobody wants to lose something that they have worked so hard to acquire no matter how small the item might be. Worse still the thieves can physically harm you when they break into your house.
There is also the danger that female members of the family might be raped. As the police have advised, you must make it very difficult for burglars to steal. Do not leave anything that might attract the attention of thieves to your house.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo also warned residents against leaving small but valuable gadgets such as laptop computers, decoders, wallets, handbags and smart phones near windows as thieves find it easy to steal these by using pieces of wire to “fish” them out.
Keeping serial numbers of your electrical gadgets and putting own identification marks on other household goods make it easy to identify the goods should you suffer a break in and the property is recovered.
Let us help police in the fight against burglaries and robberies. Residents should always secure their homes by locking doors at night and closing windows. Do not leave lights in the house on when you go to bed at night because it makes it easy for thieves to see the inside of the house and select what to steal.
Do not keep large sums of money at home because in the event of a burglary you are likely to lose it. Residents need to be alert in order to protect lives and property.
Police always warn people against keeping large sums of cash at home or business premises but some do not heed the advice.
It is important to bank your money and only have small amounts of cash that you need to use for perishables and other necessities, otherwise there is no point for people to keep large sums of cash at home or business premises.
Inspector Moyo said there was another disturbing crime in the city, theft from vehicles, which was also on the rise. Motorists are advised to lock their doors and close windows as well as install alarms. They should never leave valuables in their vehicles.
Let us heed the advice of police and minimise the chances of us falling victim to burglars. Should thieves break into your house, please do not resist their orders because they will harm you or even kill you since they will be armed with weapons.
Online Reporter