Milly Barnard, community development manager for Fidelity ADT East Rand area, said they are aware of the concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs ADT, we issued an alert to residents because we noticed an increase in crime in the area as we approached the national 21-day lockdown.<\/p>
\u201cThere have been multiple robberies reported at homes,\u201d said Barnard.<\/p>\n
According to Barnard, this trend appears to be very opportunistic as most citizens focus on the well-being of their families and may for the moment neglect their basic security and safety needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring this lockdown, we want to remind all residents to stay vigilant and not let their guard down.<\/p>\n
\u201cCriminals know families will be at home with extra hardware such laptops, computers and devices and unless you are paying attention to security, you could become an easy target,\u201d said Barnard.<\/p>\n
She urged people not to relax when it comes to their safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cHomeowners need to ensure all gates are secured and outside perimeter doors kept locked at all times.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you have outside beams these should be activated during the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll members of the household should be given a security refresher to ensure everyone understands the importance of staying safe during this period,\u201d said Barnard.<\/p>\n
She said it\u2019s not only households that are in danger, also shops and SMEs.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
ALSO READ:<\/span><\/p>\n Covid-19: Makause residents taught about Covid-19<\/a><\/p>\n Community encouraged to have safety zones within their home<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShops and SMEs must ensure that their alarms are functional, activated and attended to during lockdown, as we may experience some loitering as the overall situation in the country deteriorates.<\/p>\n \u201cAlso, estates and complexes need to be on high alert as criminals could capitalise on deserted posts if security officers are not in attendance.<\/p>\n \u201cMovement in these areas is also not as contained as in residential suburbs due to communal parks and clubhouses which can\u2019t be locked down,\u201d said Barnard.<\/p>\n She said ADT will be on high alert and serve the community.<\/p>\n They have comprehensive contingency plans in place.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the 21-day lockdown period we have partnered with medical emergency services, such as ER24 who will continue to provide services to their customers.<\/p>\n \u201cOur service group is considered an essential service and we want to make sure our clients are safe.<\/p>\n \u201cOur armed response officers will continue to patrol and protect our customers,\u201d said Barnard.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n * Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news<\/strong><\/p>\n Dear reader,<\/p>\n As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as \u201cfake news\u201d) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.<\/p>\n Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za<\/a>) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za<\/a>).<\/p>\n Hav<\/strong>e a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor)\u00a0<\/span>germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za,<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>Leigh Hodgson (News Editor)\u00a0<\/span>leighh@caxton.co.za\u00a0<\/a><\/strong>or Busi Vilakazi (Journalist)\u00a0busiv@caxton.co.za.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Also follow us on:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2019\/07\/Facebook.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2019\/07\/Twitter.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2019\/07\/Instagram.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2019\/07\/youtube.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2019\/07\/Newsletter.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n