E E R
Octo b e r 2020
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LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO STOP CRIME
Xpanda securing homes and businesses,
offering real security solutions, to real people, real fast! The Xpanda story began in 1974, when they started manufacturing custom physical barrier systems direct to the end customer. Over the last 4 and half decades, as local and global economies changed, we have seen crime, and criminal modus operandi evolve. Xpanda has continued to be at the forefront of research and development in the physical barrier market since they opened for business. Today, Xpanda is privileged to serve thousands of customers annually, manufacturing a wide range of security products, which include: • • • • • • •
Custom retractable security barriers Custom fixed security barriers (such as burglar guards) Driveway gates and perimeter security Roller shutters for domestic, commercial, and industrial applications Sectional overhead doors Electrical (sub-station) doors DIY range that is available at most South African hardware stores
Whilst Xpanda is famous for its DIY range of security products, its core focus, remains custom made security products for home, commercial and industrial use. All Xpanda customers are serviced through their 3 main offices in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, and through their franchise and extensive national network of Xpanda accredited installers and distributors. With their extensive product range and wide-reaching distribution, Xpanda is one of the most comprehensive manufacturers of barrier security products in South Africa. The Xpanda ethos remains the same today as it was when they opened in 1974, their purpose goes far beyond profit, they believe in a safer world. Xpanda, securing homes and businesses, offering real security solutions, to real people, real fast!
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Inside
this issue Page 6
Safe as Houses
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Hoax Emails
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A Word to the Wise
Page 12
Outdoor security lighting
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Safety Tips
DISCLAIMER: The publisher and editor of this magazine give no warranties, guarantees or assurances and make no representations regarding any goods or services advertised within this edition. Copyright July Media. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from July Media. The publishers are not responsible for any unsolicited material.
Tel: 087 943 2418 Cell: 078 685 3894
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Fax: 086 465 3116 Email: gatvolmagazine@julymedia.co.za
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S A FE BY ANDRAYA KRUGER
SECURITY, WHAT WORKS? You have just moved into your new home with your family. Next on your list of the many things to take care of, is securing your home and making sure your family is safe. The insurance company has given you their requirements; insisting on,burglar guards for your windows and security gates for your doors, a safe for the storage of jewelry, an armed response alarm system and a lock-up garage or automated gate to keep your vehicles safe. However, you feel as if you should do more. According to the latest available statistics, of the 14,5 million households in South Africa 2.1 million have been affected by some form of robbery. This translates to 14.8% of South African households. YOU ARE FEELING OVERWHELMED by the many security options available to you as well as questioning whether or not you are going to be able to afford to implement everything. Purchasing external door and window beams, motion sensors, security cameras, a CCTV system and alarm system, electric or barbed wire fences, burglar guards and slam lock gates, can run into to tens of thousands of Rands. While all this is tempting, it is just not financially viable for the majority of South African home owners. SO WHAT WORKS? What really are the most effective, essentials? Information gathered from numerous prisoners, currently serving time for burglary and home invasion, revealed which security options were the most and least affective. The main security factors that work, according to the inmates, have to do with movement, noise, visibility, Page 6
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H OUSES
ease of access and escape routes. When a burglar or a team of home invaders, target a home, they look for external and internal elements of the property that will hide them from prying eyes. Therefore, building high walls, hedges, and putting up thick curtains, immediately makes you high risk. If they can intrude and steal your valuables without neighbors or passersby seeing them, then it is easy for them to be successful. A concealed home also means that you must be hiding something valuable. Razor wire fencing with barbed wire or an electric fence is more of a deterrent, as your home is visible to others. Having a visible armed response company sign on your property is vital, so that the burglars know your home is being surveilled, and that they have limited time before armed response arrives, should the alarm sound. The inmates also confirmed that if a property has motion sensor cameras, they will not enter. This is because when these cameras detect movement, they alert you via your preferred device, giving the intruder no time at all to get in and out of the property undetected. Noise scares intruders away, therefore having an audible alarm system activated by motion sensor lights and or beams, internally and externally are a wise investment. If, for any reason at all, you are unable to activate your alarm system and you are not at home, leaving a radio or a television on, tricks the intruder into thinking that someone is at home, causing them to rule your property out as a target
IS IT SAFE TO HAVE A SAFE? Inmates admit that they will do anything to get you or your family members to open your safe, even if it means harming you. This proves that safes are actually I dangerous. Hollow doors or doors with decorative glass can be kicked down or smashed openad are easy access points. Therefore investing in plate glass, slam lock security gates and solid wooden doors, are the safest way to go. Once a burglar rea lises that he cannot enter your home easily, he will give up and move on. WHAT EXTRA STEPS CAN YOU TAKE TO ENSURE YOURS AND YOUR FAMILY’S SAFETY? Be aware of your surroundings. Vacant land, a road, railway line or a forest, adjacent to your home, are easy escape routes and access points. Get to know your neighbors. Join the Neighborhood Watch and local Whatsapp groups as well as the Community Policing Forums. Once your neighbors know you well enough, they will pick up on your routines and behaviors. This is helpful; as they will notice strange activity in your home during the times they know you are not at home. It would be prudent to learn from the men and women who have been caught and convicted for robbing South African homes. Focus on the key essentials. Audible alarm with early warning systems such as external beams, motion sensor lights and cameras linked to your armed response company. Clear visibility with live electric or barbed wire fencing that limit ease of access are good additions. Finally, invest in slam lock security gates, strong doors and burglar guards.
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ARE YOU REACTING TO HOAX EMAILS ? If you are a South African woman who frequents shopping malls, you will be adept at bladder management. You know that if you visit the toilets in a shopping mall, an armed felon will sneak in behind you, place his “cleaning in progress sign” across the entrance, rob you (or worse strip you of all your kit and then exit - leaving you to seek help from local Mugg & Bean patrons - in the knick. If you drive at night, it is likely that you have stopped being a responsible) caring citizen. You won’t flash your lights at an oncoming vehicle without its headlights on. You know that this is not simple human error and, if you flash, you will be chased down and murdered as part of a lethal gang initiation ritual. Good news! You can now pee and flash to your heart’s content. The one about ladies being accosted in shopping mall loos was a hoax that originated in 2002. The gang initiation ritual was also a hoax. It first surfaced in Los Angeles in the 1980’s. Most - if not all e-mail crime ‘warnings’ - are hoaxes. Having been relatively quiet on the hoax front in recent months, it seems that many of the old favourites are back in circulation. The World Cup ‘gees’ seems well and truly over and we are back to our old fear-mongering, nation-bashing tricks. What a shame. The question is - why do we feel the need to forward these hoax e-mails? As rational human beings, we should take one look at this stuff, roll our eyes and hit delete. But we don’t. We ignore the dodgy sources, the blurry police or Netcare logos and the poor grammar. We ignore the fact that many of them contain language that is clearly not ours using words like ‘restroom’ and ‘convenience store’. Such are our levels of helplessness regarding crime that mindlessly hitting ‘fw’ seems to make us feel like we are back in control and ‘doing our bit’. In truth, we are just authoring our own horror stories, perpetuating a culture of fear and alienating ourselves from our fellow South Africans. So how do you spot a hoax? Take a careful look at the following e-mail that is currently doing the rounds. An important message from The Police: This actually happened a few weeks ago on the N3 between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.
It was early evening and a young girl stopped to get petrol. She filled her tank and walked to the convenience store (convenience store? Not very South African). As she went to pay (note: this is now dearly a foreign e-mail as we pay for our petrol at the pump not in the store) the cashier told her ‘don’t pay yet... Walk around the store for a while and act as if you‘re picking up some other things to buy. A man just got into the back of your car. I’ve called the police and they’re on their way.’ When the police arrived, they found the man in the back seat of the girl’s car and asked him what he was doing. He replied, he was joining a gang and the initiation to join is to kidnap a woman and bring her back to the gang to be raped by every member. Now check this, out though. The following ‘warning’ appeared on a website in January 2008. It was posted by a woman living in Colchester, Great Britain. This actually happened a few weeks ago right here In England. It was early evening and a young lady stopped to get petrol. She filled her tank and walked into the store to pay for her petrol. The rest of the story is exactly the same as ours except that it includes this: According to the police that night, there is a new gang forming here (Colchester) originating from London. Simply by changing one or two details, place names, a word here or there - these stories become fun-and-games for hoaxers and peddlers of fear all over the world. The damage however is real: fear cripples us and, as long as we are living in fear of one another, we are unable to reach out to each other and mend the broken bridges.
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A WORD TO THE WISE Written by Dave Sykes - Burcor Forensic Services | +27 83 357 8148
SCAMS In today’s tough economic times, many people out there are trying to make “a quick buck” and the easiest place to make “a quick buck” is off the generosity or naivety of others. Many of us have received that email, claiming we have won a completion … that we didn’t even enter or from some foreign government official claiming they need help to move funds offshore. Most of those types of scams are easy to spot and ignore. It gets more difficult when you are searching for a particular product or item to purchase and then you stumble onto that proverbial deal that is “too good to pass up”. The deal is so good that it causes you to overlook red flags that are clear to see. SO WHAT IS A SCAM? Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines a scam as… “a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation”. So a scam is just an act or operation (many actions) that is designed to defraud another person. Where a plan was a hatched and placed in motion… through either physical actions, the production of documents or the telling of a story… but where in all instances the objective is to take property or money or attempt to take property or money, away from somebody else or the rightful owner. COMMON DAY PROBLEM AREAS The 3 most common places or instances where “scams” or Fraud is likely to happen are… Online buying and selling … Bogus charities or charitable causes and lastly… Offers too good to be true, as previously mentioned. Online buying and selling; in the age of the internet, never before has it been so easy to buy or sell goods. This is a good thing but can also lead to disappointment. So if you do decide to engage in online commerce be very aware of dangers. Most big stores have an online presence so I’m not referring to those. I’m referring to the private buying and selling of items and where the value or money involved is substantial to you (we all have different value systems so what is substantial to one may not be substantial to another). Bogus Charities or charitable causes; human nature is such that when we see people in need, we want to help out wherever we can but that trait is also exploited by fraudsters. There are many examples of bogus or fraudulent Charities asking the public to donate money towards causes or programmes that don’t exist. Or where people approach you directly with a sad and tragic story and ask for donations. The too good to pass up deal; where you happen to come across advertising or are approached about a “deal” that will save you hundreds if not thousands of Rands. Or where adverts pop up in your social media feeds offering you products or services at much discounted rates.
SOME HELPFUL TIPS Make sure the person you are dealing with has the authority to sell or buy that item and that they actually have an item for sale. If selling an item make sure your own bank confirms receipt of the funds before releasing the item. Never rely on email proof of payments or text messages from the buyer, all of these can be manipulated. If buying, then ask to meet and inspect the item to make sure it is what you had in mind, once satisfied then make the transfer… never arrive with large amounts of cash to inspect the goods. Don’t be pressured into making a payment or release the goods without being completely satisfied. Any reasonable, legitimate seller or buyer shouldn’t have a problem with this… if they do… be very aware. Always insist on some type of sales receipt. This doesn’t have to be formal, just a simple hand written or typed note that contains the relevant information of all parties and which has place for all parties to sign in agreement of the transaction. All charities should be registered, so ask for those documents and verify them before making any donations. Anyone approaching you directly for donations should be directed towards a local registered charity that can provide the necessary assistance, then make a donation to that charity. A deal that sounds too good to be true … is normally too good to be true. Everyone likes a “good deal” or “special offer” but slow down and make a rational decision … don’t be rushed to make a decision on the spot. If the deal is legitimate, the salesperson will allow you time to make your own decision. Always, always apply good common sense when contemplating any of these types of transactions. And where you feel “uneasy” about anything, reach out to a trusted friend or family member for advice. WHAT TO DO WHEN THINGS GO WRONG? If you entered into some type of transaction… no matter the monetary value involved… and you were “scammed” or defrauded always report the matter to the South African Police Service. You may have some vital information that could help the police make an arrest or when an arrest is made later, your case could be added to the criminal charges that will be brought against the perpetrator. The reporting will help the police identify criminal trends and so may lead to extra resources being allocated should the trend require it. Also report the matter to your bank, and ask that any payments be stopped or at least funds frozen pending the police investigation. All commercial transactions require trust, the trust however must be evident from both parties so if you feel that you are being asked to trust “more” than the other party, this is a clear red flag and should warn you to proceed with the utmost caution. Page 9
ADVERTORIAL
ELECTRIC FENCING PRODUCTS THAT DELIVERS PEACE OF MIND Nemtek’s extensive range of quality and innovative security electric fencing products has helped ensure the safety and well-being of households for more than 30 years. Our products are trusted and recommended by many homeowners to offer better security for their family and friends. We can help provide you with the best solutions to meet your requirements. For homeowners who currently have an electric fence installed, you are able to enhance your peace of mind with our patented Nemtek Dual Action Tension Sensors. These sensors can detect a change of tension in the fence wire and uses the current electric fence monitoring circuit to create an alarm. They increase the likelihood of an intruder being detected and reduces the possibility of tampering. Gone are the days where an intruder could gain access to your property by simply separating the wires and climbing through – now you will know if they try.
You can also double your current Energizer battery backup time and keep that electric fence powered up during power cuts. By installing a Nemtek power pack with built in battery, you can double your current Energizer battery back-up time seeing you through most power cuts easily. Simply install it near your current Energizer, connect it up and let it do the rest. And when the power comes back on, it will get your energizer up to full power level quickly and painlessly. Our continually evolving and inventive range offers economical, reliable and effective solutions for many residential applications with numerous choices to ensure that the right product is available to make your home secure. Contact us on websales@nemtek.com or 031 701 2125/3131 for further information or visit www.nemtek.com
A Nemtek Energizer and Power Supply to double up your battery back up time and keeps that electric fencing powered up during power cuts. Nemtek Dual Action Tension Sensors increase the likelihood of an intruder being detected and reduces the possibility of tampering Page 10
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GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR OUTDOOR SECURITY LIGHTING A secure home requires proper placement and installation of outdoor lighting. Illuminating the exterior of your home with high-performance, well-placed security lighting will make intruders think twice about trying to enter your property. Here are some of Eurolux Lighting’s tips to get the most out of your fixtures if you’re installing outdoor lighting to improve your home security. INSTALL MULTIPLE FIXTURES When it comes to security lighting, the main goal is to eliminate dark spots for intruders to hide in. To achieve this, you need multiple fixtures that offer not-as-bright light as opposed to a single fixture that offers really bright light. The multiple fixtures can be placed in different areas around the exterior of your home to ensure there aren’t any dark corners or patches of the yard where intruders may go undetected. DON’T MISS A SPOT Having multiple fixtures is one thing, but you need to make sure they’re placed in strategic spots. In the front yard, the gate, driveway, pathway up to the front door, and front door itself should all have proper lighting. But don’t neglect the back and sides of your house. This is where intruders usually attempt to gain access to your home because it’s out of sight from people and cars passing by the main entrance of the home. POSITION AND ANGLE The ideal position for security lighting is high up off the ground and shining in a downward direction. This results in a bigger radius of light being cast which ultimately means you’ll need fewer fixtures to get full coverage. Lighting positioned this way also reduces the amount of light pollution produced.
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ADVERTORIAL
Just make sure you don’t place them too high. The higher the fixture, the softer the light that hits the ground, so fixtures placed really high up will need to be extra bright to work efficiently which can be tricky to achieve. MAINTENANCE There’s no point in having security lights if half of them don’t work. A proper maintenance routine will ensure that your lights are in good shape and work as they should. Identify any burnt-out bulbs and replace them immediately. You should also clean any dirt or dust that accumulates on the shades to keep them shining optimally. Checking these two things once a month is easy and will give you peace of mind. “TURN OFF” SOME LIGHTS This may seem slightly counterintuitive, but having some lights “turned off” is an effective method of deterring intruders. Motion sensor lighting will take would-be intruders by surprise. If they’ve been creeping around in the dark, a sudden flood of light will catch them off guard. Their eyes will take time to adjust to the light and they’ll most likely run away out of fear of being caught. Motion sensor floodlights are a great option because they automatically bathe large areas of the garden in bright light when movement is detected. Your neighbours will probably also appreciate this type of light because it reduces light pollution and won’t cast an unwanted glare into their home, or yours for that matter. USE TIMERS If you work late or go away for days at a time, then lighting set to a timer is a practical security solution. By setting your outdoor lighting to turn on and off at a particular time, you create the illusion that someone is home even when you’re not. Many burglaries occur when homeowners are not at home because it’s an easier target. Timed lighting should aid in putting criminals off.
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SAFETY TIPS
For many years I have been attending meetings at various police stations, in addition to having a fair amount to do with many local Community Policing Forums. This involvement has meant that I have been privy to a great deal of information about crimes committed on both individuals and businesses. It’s always so very easy to blame the SA Police Services, in one-way or another, for just about every crime committed. But believe me this is seldom the case and I am always amazed, given the amount of crime that we are plagued with, at the carelessness of members of the general public that constantly rears its head and leads to both minor and major criminal acts being committed. One of the most regular situations is when a householder or business employee leaves front doors and security gates wide open while alone in the home or business; perhaps a woman engrossed in doing washing or ironing in the back of the home; a secretary doing some filing. This person cannot understand it when a passing SAP member calls out from her front door enquiring If she is aware of the dangers she places herself In. Instead
of thanking the member for pointing out her potential danger she very often becomes abusive.
Many years ago you could happily talk of living in a SECURE COMPLEX as being one surrounded by a 5ft fence and gates. Unfortunately today I don’t believe there is any such thing and you can no longer cease to take other additional precautions such as alarms and burglar guards embedded into the window frames. The average criminal of today is fairly bright and has probably had lots of experience with overcoming even electric fencing, electric gates and alarm systems. So I beg of you to be fully aware of potential dangers at all times and not carelessly let your guard down, even for a short while. Yes, it is extremely unfortunate that we have to live like this but it is always better to be safe than sorry. The policing authorities cannot be everywhere at all times and it’s my firm belief that the average police member does well under difficult circumstances. It’s a fact of life that there are unfortunately always a few rotten apples in every large barrelful.
So how does one protect yourself and your home? I have come up with a few solutions Number one on the list is Be Aware of your surroundings things like making sure your house is locked when you are alone in it. Secondly make sure that your alarm works and that the security company that you are tied into has a rapid response time. Thirdly invest in good security for your home Protecting your property is very important. And fencing plays a key role in providing this protection. So, when it comes to answering the question, “what type of fencing does my home need?”, You need to know what choices you have and the benefits of the fencing on offer.
5 ADVANTAGES OF SECURITY FENCING: • SECURITY The primary purpose of security fencing is… well, security. Fencing is part of the infrastructure that safeguards you and yours from vandals and other unwanted intruders. And you can select the type of fencing according to your budget Your fencing is going to be there for a good few years so make sure that is wont corrode easily and is of good quality. Remember the fence will be there even after you sell and move on so it must be aesthetically appealing and preferably low maintenance! • SAFETY Security fencing helps ensure the safety of your home. There are many types of security fencing from electric fencing to Clear view all serve a purpose and can be used to enhance the safety and beauty of your property Gone are the days of ugly barbed wire fencing. • ACCESS CONTROL Remote video access gives you control over who you let into your home. If you are uncomfortable with who is at the gate do not open for them and call your security service. Using these kind of products require a bit of maintenance work-checking batteries and making sure that ants do not affect the smooth running of the access control module. Page 14
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WHAT IF I TOLD YOU? Brad & Esmé Nathanson & the BNI Team What if I told you that there is a place where recreational drugs may be bought over the counter at some retail stores; that this place has fast become the cyber-porn capital of its province, specifically cyber-porn involving children; where predators are watching videos of sex with children that are the same age and sex as their own children; that this place is a breeding ground for known AND unknown predators and to people who indulge in fetishes such as Coprophagia; that literally has a drug dealer on every corner of its society and that these drug dealers pay no mind to the quality of the drugs they are selling; where known peodophiles are mixing and mingling with normal people at social events where they would otherwise be unwelcome; where drug-related deaths are being covered up so as to protect the dealers from being exposed and the wealthy from the shame; where we know of a man who resides in this area who is completely off the SAPS radar but who is suspected of having been responsible for the deaths of at least three human beings, one of whom is this man’s Father; where drugs are more freely available and more accessible to children than alcohol or cigarettes; where the protection of children has virtually become an impossible task? What if I was to tell you that the place to which I refer is Hillcrest? Don’t be so preoccupied with life that you don’t take the time to read this or to forward it on. “illcrest” is not the only suburb under siege. “illcrest” is statistically becoming a suburb that is no longer renowned for its beauty, tranquility and spacious gardens but now rather the preferred suburb to drug addicts, drug dealers and monsters who surf the internet when everybody else is asleep, satisfying their carnal desires which involve child pornography and other sexual acts deemed “illegal” to watch in this Country. Working closely with the Child Protection Unit, it has become obvious by the number of men being arrested in our area, that “illcrest” has become a hub for these predators who are also mostly prone to alcohol and/or drug addiction. Believe us when we tell you that in the last 18 months the most unlikely men have been arrested and charged in our area and we have also noticed that there has been an insurgence into our suburb of known predators Page 16
from other areas. Please readers, mind your children. Predators are hard to spot but they are everywhere and although many of them are known to this office, to see these men out with their family, one might never guess. One cannot throw a stone in “illcrest” without hitting a drug dealer and drugs may be purchased across the counter at some retail outlets. If you think that we are fabricating this, remember this post because everything that we are telling you will be corroborated in time. KNOW the friends your children are hanging out with. KNOW the parents of the friends your children are hanging out with. KNOW where you children are sleeping over. Don’t simply accept what they tell you. KNOW how to get onto your child’s FaceBook. It’s NOT private. It’s FaceBook. KNOW what your children are downloading off the net. KNOW how to find your child at any time, day or night by loading a recovery app on their phones. KNOW the lingo your children are speaking. KNOW your child!!! We are parents. They are children. It is our duty to protect them. Let us stand together to restore the “H” in Hillcrest. We are building a data base so as to network and profile suspects. Please inbox us or email us with any information that you deem important to the preservation of our societies so that together we can make our suburbs a safer place to live for our children. “Show us the company you keep and we will tell you your future”. God Bless you all BE safe.
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