Learners and university students must be extra vigilant if they are pedestrians because they can be vulnerable to crime.

According to Charnel Hattingh, Group Head of Marketing and Communications at Fidelity ADT, criminals are particularly interested in students because they tend to have laptops, smartphones, and other gadgets that are light portable, and easy to convert into cash.

Hattingh says,” We are urging all students and residents living in shared accommodation to be security conscious at all times.

She offered the following safety tips to remember:

• Always ensure that access to a property from the street is secured and locked.
• As far as possible, ensure that doors and windows are secured with burglar bars and gates, and not left open.
• Be proactive about security to prevent being a victim of crime.
• Watch for people following you. Do not use your cell phone in the street. Keep valuables like cell phones and money hidden whilst walking to and from campus and to the shops.

Alone or in groups, here’s how to stay safe:

Valuables: Keep your valuables out of sight at all times but make sure you can get to your cell phone quickly if you need to.
Listening: Don’t use headphones because they’ll dampen your ability to sense your surroundings. The more you cut your senses off the easier it is for someone to take you by surprise. Stay alert!

Route: Even if it takes longer, always use a route that is well-lit and populated with houses and other walkers instead of taking shortcuts through less-friendly areas. If you feel threatened, you can at least knock on someone’s door for help if you’re walking through a familiar neighbourhood.

Leaving a commune or digs: Students can be seen as easy targets. A commune of five people, with friends coming and going constantly, is an easy target mainly because of relaxed security measures around accommodation with people in and out. Students are urged to set their alarms or use their panic buttons if they feel unsafe.

An emergency: Never try to be a hero if you’re accosted by criminals with weapons. Give them what they want and offer no resistance. Try to take in as much detail about the criminals and their vehicles, etc. as possible. As soon as you’re able to, contact the SAPS and open a case.

“Living with a number of people may offer a sense of false security, please be extra vigilant. Make sure you are security-conscious at all times. Lock up properly, watch that you are not being followed when you return home, and set your alarms. Speak to all the residents if you are staying in a commune about the importance of security at this time. In addition, please report any suspicious individuals or behaviour to the SAPS or security companies. We need to work together to catch these gangs and bring a stop to this crime,” says Hattingh.

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COMPILED ON BEHALF OF FIDELITY ADT BY CATHY FINDLEY PR.FOR MEDIA QUERIES CONTACT JACQUI MOLOI AT 0717648233 OR This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..