Research by Professor Rudolph Zinn and Brigadier Piet Byleveld has revealed how criminals plan and execute a house robbery in South Africa.
They also detail what you can do to prevent this.
Their research found that the best way to prevent a house robbery includes keeping small dogs inside your home, electric fences, alarms and security sensors, and employing an armed response service.
The National Home Security Month (NHSM) is an initiative which punt the steps listed above, and has partnered with safety authorities like ER24, ADT, Yale Security, Union, and Mul-T-Lock.
MyBroadband asked the NHSM what a super-secure home looks like in South Africa – its answer is detailed below.
The perimeter of your home is the first element you must secure.
Smart security creates convenience, but traditional solid, mechanical security is still important.
CCTV cameras should monitor your driveway and perimeter.
The next step is an electric fence. The electric fence should follow industry guidelines to ensure it is not easily penetrated.
Your gate should have an anti-lift device to ensure it cannot be taken off its rails, while the gate motor should be secured with an anti-theft bracket.
Pedestrian access gates and doors should be locked with a cylinder lock or four-lever mortice lock. If you use a hasp and staple, the padlock should be the right size.
A security gate as well as a door are ideal here.
Apart from an electric fence, have another security layer in place – like exterior beams.
Exterior beams can pick up movement and activate an alarm system, warning you of an intrusion.
Windows must be burglar-proof. Burglar bars on all windows are essential.
Make sure they’re made of solid or strong steel and built into the wall, not the wooden window frame.
Doors must be solid, not hollow, with a four-lever mortice or cylinder lock.
A multi-point lock, which locks at the top, middle, and bottom, is an excellent idea for main doors.
A deadbolt or nightlatch will also offer a point of resistance. A long metal strip should also be welded over any gap that a crowbar can fit through.
An intercom system
An intercom lets you buzz people in while you’re inside the house, and view them from a monitor.
A mobile viewing app lets see guests or tradesmen and control their access from the safety of your home.
A CCTV system recording permanently or one which records when movement is detected keeps track of all that happens in a home.
Check the size of linked hard drives to make sure you know how many days of recording it allows. Identifying criminals will also require decent-quality equipment.
The smartest way of securing your home right now is online and app driven.
A home-automation system incorporating smart security lets you unlock your door with a smart door lock and an app.
Unlocking the door alerts the system that you are home, which deactivates the smart alarm system and simultaneously switches on the CCTV system.
A smart alarm system, with door and window contacts, activates an alarm if any entry is detected.
Vibration sensors can be included to activate the alarm in the case of a window breakage.
All entrance points should be covered by the alarm system.
Smoke detectors, gas detectors, and fire extinguishers or blankets should be installed in homes to ensure safety in the event of fire or gas leaks.
All detectors need to be checked regularly to ensure they are operational. Certain detectors can be connected to an alarm system.
A reputable security company can work with homeowners to protect their home and react to intrusions.
If the house is home to a senior citizen or someone with a medical condition, an app like ER24’s IDMe can alert ER24 in the event of an emergency.
A mobile panic button is also available through ADT’s FindU service.
A vigorous shake of the mobile phone sends out an alert to the nearest response officer and simultaneously films the event.
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