Christmas; A time for giving, receiving… and taking!
A big THANK YOU! From all of us at Safeguard, for all your support this past year. We really appreciate your business in this difficult economy.
After a tough year everyone is desperate to take a break and if possible get away for a few days Don’t forget about your security plan though!
We are on duty throughout the holiday period, so if you need any assistance or advice, please just pick up the phone and give us a call. If you do not know the contact numbers for your local centre drop us a line and we will make sure you have them.
You have heard it all before we are sure, but a few reminders here about holiday security:-
- Think about your security and plan ahead. Call if you need advice.
- Make use of the rapid response service. There are dedicated vehicles for response in each centre, and 20 throughout Harare. Help us to catch crime early and call us for any worries at home or in your area including suspicious vehicles, movement or noise.
Remember this service also is connected to ACE AIR AMBULANCE, FIRE, and ROADSIDE ASSIST.
We have extra patrols running throughout the holidays as an added deterrent
- Make sure your cell phone panic is connected … we are able to help you anywhere in the country!!
- Always arm your security systemevery time you leave work or home. Christmas is a peak time for burglary, with opportunistic thieves on the look-out
- If you’re planning a vacation make sure we have your emergency contact details, and test your alarm systems well before you leave.
- Don’t hide spare keys under rocks, in flowerpots, or above door ledges. Instead give the spare key to family or trusted neighbour.
- Secure garages & sheds. Make sure that garden tools or ladders that could be used to force entry into your home are not left lying around.
- Consider moving high value assets or documents to more secure premises whilst away. STORAGE MART have good solutions in this area
Have a great holiday and all the very best for 2019!
INCIDENT REPORT – NOVEMBER 2018
CASH STILL THE TARGET BUT…
Whilst cash is still the main target we have seen a marked increase in theft across the board. With the shortages, fuel theft is on the rise, and theft from vehicles (including batteries) a target in the commercial and industrial areas. In desperate times we see a return to the melt down years of the mid 2000 s and so if not properly secured, and can be easily converted to cash, it will be stolen.
VISITORS FOR CHRISTMAS?
In a recent case visitors to the country declared the cash being brought in on holiday, and the address at which they would be staying… there were robbed 10 days later! Cash is the target so think twice about cash, the details you share.
On 31/10/2018 at a construction company, the security manager called advising of theft of a battery from a parked vehicle. The case was reported to ZRP Hatfield who then attended but no suspect was identified.
5/11/18 at 07:30 hrs our client from the City Centre reported a break in. Intruders smashed the display window but failed to enter because of the Xpanda screen doors installed on the inside of the glass. No alarm signal was received by the Control Room as this area is not covered by the alarm system.
On 6/11/18 at 19:25 hrs a panic signal was received from an Avenues guest lodge. Intruders stole a shaving machine from one of the clients and fled. Client has a stand-alone panic system. Matter was reported at Fife Avenue Police Base.
On 6/11/18 at 01:56 hrs an alarm signal was received from Highlands. Intruders gained entry by removing 2 durawall panels. They then proceeded to open the main house window but fled empty handed when the alarm sounded.
On 6/11/18 at 08:20 hours a panic signal was received from the City Centre advising of an attempted break in the previous night. Intruders attempted to gain entry by removing a roof sheet but failed to get inside. Nothing was stolen. No signal was received by Control Room because the intruders failed to gain access.
On 6/11/18 at 21:42 hrs a video alarm signal was received from Beatrice. Intruders gained entry by removing a palisade bar but fled empty handed when the alarm sounded.
On 7/11/18 at 01:16 hrs an alarm signal was received from the City Centre. Intruders gained entry by breaking the main glass door and the cold room window. Nothing was stolen as the intruders fled when the alarm sounded.
On 7/11/18 at 03:33 hrs an alarm signal was received from the City Centre. Intruders gained entry by cutting the lock on the main door to steal television sets. The alarm triggered and they ran away.
On 7/11/18 at 05:27 hrs the police informed our supervisor of an attempted break in in the City Centre the previous night. Intruders attempted to break into the shop but failed to cut the lock on the screen door.
On 8/11/18 at 23:57 hrs an alarm signal was received from Strathaven. Intruders gained entry by removing 2 durawal panels and cutting the razor wire. The intruders escaped empty handed when the house alarm activated.
On 9/11/18 at 02:18 hrs an alarm signal was received from Newlands. Intruders jumped over the durawall, put the gate on manual and cut the lock of the main door but fled empty handed when the alarm sounded.
On 10/11/18 at 08:59 hrs an alarm signal was received from Crowborough. Intruders cut the razor wire but fled empty handed when the alarm sounded.
On 11/11/18 at 20:39 hrs we received a phone call from our client in Chisipite requesting for our reaction vehicle to attend to her mother in law’s place. Intruders had jumped over the durawall and forced open the kitchen door and stole some clothes and a handbag.
On 16/11/18 at 02:00 hrs an alarm signal was received from a base station in Mufakose. Intruders bent the palisade bars to gain entry but fled empty handed when the alarm sounded.
On 16/11/18 at 19:57 hrs a phone call was received form Greystone Park. Intruders removed 2 durawall panels to gain entry but were chased away by barking dogs. Nothing was stolen and house alarm was not disturbed by the intruders hence the phone call by the client.
On 22/11/18 at 0133 hrs an alarm signal was received from Chishawasha Hills. Intruders cut the perimeter fence and forced open client’s kitchen window and stole some goods. Alarm activated and the intruders got away with a few items. Client declined police involvement.
On 26/11/18 at 0323 hours an alarm signal was received from the City Centre. Intruders cut the screen door, smashed the glass door, entered and stole some goods. Alarm activated and the intruders fled with a few goods.
On 26/11/18 at around 0800 hours a report was received that there was a break in in City Centre. Intruders had smashed the display glass but failed to get through the inside security screen. The area is not covered by an alarm.
On 26/11/2018 at 01:30am our control room received a theft report from a construction company in Marondera 4 x heavy duty batteries were stolen.
On 27/11/18 at 0317 hours an alarm signal was received from City Centre. Intruders damaged the screen door and smashed the glass but escaped empty handed when the alarm activated.
On 29/11/2018 at 20:30hrs at one of the local restaurant in the avenues area we received a report that a Toyota hilux 4 x 4 was broken into by intruders. A local guard was manning this area. A bag, laptop and cash were stolen. The customer together with their internal guard reported the incident to Fife ave ZRP.
MIDLANDS
Masvingo
On the 01/11/2018 in Zimre Park area, intruders cut the fence and this activated the alarm resulting in the Reaction team reacting swiftly. Upon arrival the intruders had ran away and nothing was stolen. Matter was reported to the police for further investigations.
During the early morning hours of 23/11/2018 some unidentified intruders gained entry into a Zimre Park residential property which was left unlocked whilst the residents retired to bed. The intruders in the process triggered an indoor alarm. The intruders in panic managed to snatch a handbag which contained US150.00 plus R500.00 and an array of important documents and personal particulars, but dropped it whilst running from the response team.
BULAWAYO
On 30/10/18 a large retailer in North end Suburb was broken into through the roof. Intruders went through several offices but the alarm did not prompt a response. The retailer approached us for advice and we have since taken over the system and made upgrades. Various food items were stolen.
On 4/11/18 we received a call from a residential property advising of a Break in. Earlier on during the day an alarm had activated at the home and response attended. Nothing was stolen, there was no assign of forced entry but someone had been in the house.
On 4/11/18 during the night (Time unknown) some policemen on patrol in the Lobengula mall saw intruders fishing out kitchen utensils/wares through an already broken window covered by some ply wood. They gave chase and the criminals dropped the items and managed to escape. The shop has an alarm and response services but the window that was broken is not covered by alarm sensors.
On 9/11/10 at 2333hrs a client in Hillside pressed a panic after observing intruders in his kitchen. Our response attended .The intruders ran away having stolen a purse with USD 3 and $ 2 Bond.
On 10/11/18 in morning a client phoned to advise of an unlawful entry onto her premises in the Hillside area. Intruders had cut 30 metres of Razor wire and destroyed the 9 strands electric fence to jump the durawall and gain access to the premises. They however failed to enter the house and left without stealing anything.
On 10/11/18 in the early morning we received a call from Hillside to say that criminals had attempted to break into a house. The criminal/s cut a 6 strand electric fence and cut the razor wire to get onto the premises. As they tried to break open the kitchen door the alarm activated scaring them off. Nothing was stolen.
On 15/11/18 at 2031hrs we received an alarm signal from a clothing shop in the city centre. An intruder had jumped into the yard at the rear of the shop from the sanitary lane and was picked by an alarm outside sensor. Response attended .the intruders ran upon hearing the alarm. Nothing was stolen.
On 16/11/18 at 2112hrs we received an alarm signal Hillside residential area and our response attended to find that an intruder had tried to open the lounge window and the alarm activated causing him to run away. Nothing was stolen.
On 23/11/18 at approximately 0700hrs we received a telephone call from a company in Pumula to the effect that there was an attempted Break in through the roof. Intruders broke the roof and disconnected the alarm from the radio link. The alarm activated but did not send a signal as a result. The intruders apparently ran away when the alarm activated and nothing was stolen. The alarm was installed by a private installer and there was no PIR protecting the radio.
A restaurant in the suburbs recently lost two large gas bottles stolen from a cage outside of the restaurant during the afternoon hours before it opened. The gas bottles were not covered by an alarm nor did the restaurant have a security guard. The value of the lost bottles was estimated at $2,800.
There have been more than 40 incidents of house breaking and theft in the Hillside area of Bulawayo over the last three months with the criminal being called the 3 stone man. The modus operandi was to use three small stones outside of the house and Police suspected it was a form of witchcraft meant to make the criminal invisible. Despite the high number of incidents reported, often the criminal would break in to a house and make off with no goods. In a few incidents he was able to steal cell phones and loose cash but overall would leave when owners woke up. The houses targeted had no formal alarm system or rapid response and would rely solely on the neighborhood watch for assistance. These break in’ stopped in mid-November after the Police arrested a suspect who was positively identified by more than one home owner and it is believed that he was the main culprit in the break in’s.
MUTARE
On the 02/11/2018 in the industrial area one of our client phoned advising that there was a break in and theft at his premises. We attended and noted that the area where the break in occurred was not covered by an alarm system. Goods worth ($3,500.00) three thousand five hundred dollars were reported stolen. The case was reported to Mutare Central Police.
On 05/11/2018 in the residential area we received a panic signal from one of our clients. Response team was dispatched and on arrival they met the client who advised that he was robbed at gun point. The robbers gained entry into the house by breaking in through the bedroom window. The client was still in the sitting room and had not yet armed the alarm. Goods worth $3,860 (three thousand eight hundred and sixty) were reported stolen. The case was reported to Mutare Central Police.
On the 11/11/2018 in the residential area at 02:51 hours we received an alarm signal from one of the clients and response team was dispatched. On arrival they noted that one of the window pane was broken and burglar bars were cut using a bolt cutter. Nothing was reported stolen. The client was not on the property it is suspected criminals ran away on hearing the alarm system sounding.
On the 28/11/2018 in the residential area at 01:40 hours an alarm signal was received from one of our clients. On checking our response noted that one of the vehicle windows was smashed. A report was made to Mutare Central Police nothing was reported stolen.
Mutare crime statistics from The Zimbabwe Republic Police for the month of November 2018
- Plain Robbery 02 case.
- Unlawful entry and theft 32 cases.
- Stock theft 3 cases.
- Theft 116 cases.
- Assault 52 cases.
- Theft of vehicles 1 cases.
- Theft from vehicles 18 cases.
- Use of dangerous drugs 1 cases.
- Smuggling 3 cases.
- Fraud 11 cases.
- Attempted murder 01 case
- Culpable homicide -01 case
- Armed robbery 02 cases
- Robbery other weapons 07 cases
Total value of goods lost $291 483 .00
Total value of goods recovered $11 483 .00
SAFEGUARD BREAK-IN REPORT NOVEMBER 2018
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