Safeguard urges security consciousness during festive season

With Christmas fast approaching and with it a predictable increase in crime, Safeguard Security has urged members of the public to be security conscious and ensure the safety of their homes and possessions.

Those going away for the holidays who have alarm systems should, it suggests, test their property, fence and panic alarms to ensure they are working and ensure they have good power back-up and that fences and external sensors are clean and clear of foliage.

If they have a rapid response link, they should ensure their list of people to call in an emergency is up to date and that they have keys to the property.

Safeguard chief executive Andrew Mallon urged those who may be keeping cash at home or at the office to bank it or move it to a secure place.

"Crime today is targeting cash. Thefts recently reported all point to indiscreet and insecure control and storage of cash at home or business premises," he said.

Valuables should be kept out of sight, he said, adding that there are some great options for storing valuables at a new storage mart that opened recently, which could be particularly useful for those who do not have an alarm system or security guard.

He warned too that care should be taken in the use of credit or debit cards when paying for goods and services or withdrawing money from an automated teller machine (ATM).

"Watch out for unsolicited advice or close queuing  at ATMs and point of sale (POS) terminals. No‑one should take your card away for payments," he said.

He said breaking into vehicles in public areas had become a major problem. "Don't leave valuables in your vehicle and make sure your vehicle is locked," he said.

"If you are a Safeguard rapid response customer, ensure that you have a panic button programmed on your cellphone. This service is free and allows you to request assistance in an emergency, whether it be a security issue or a vehicle breakdown or accident, anywhere in Zimbabwe provided there is network coverage," he said.

There is also a Safeguard app that allows those who have it to monitor their homes or office on their phones from wherever they are, he pointed out.

He said those who wanted to link their alarm system temporarily to Safeguard's rapid response service could arrange for Safeguard to install a temporary radio link, regardless of whether they were a Safeguard customer or not.