With many travelling to their out-of-town destinations for their December holidays away from home, thieves will take advantage of the vacant homes.
According to the latest crime statistics, there is a rise in the number of housebreaking incidents and home robberies during the holiday season.
The 2021/22 Governance, Public Safety, and Justice Survey (GPSJS) revealed that the number of housebreaking incidents in December 2021 came to a total of 146,000.
This is more than 60% higher than the following January, which saw just 90,000 incidents.
Statistics South Africa revealed that housebreaking incidents peaked in June and December during the 2018/2019 period and in June, September, and December in 2019/2020.
Ashok Sewnarain, CEO of IBV International Vaults, a global leader in private Vault and safety deposit boxes, said there is nothing more tempting to a thief than an unoccupied home during the holidays, giving burglars hours of uninterrupted time to rummage through belongings and help themselves to valuables.
“Unfortunately, as we’ve seen time and time again, private security systems aren’t infallible, and they often aren’t strong enough to withstand determined or cunning criminals. Rather than tempt any sticky fingers, we strongly recommend storing any precious items in professional, internationally-rated vaults such as those at IBV, not just during December, but always,” said Sewnarain.
IBV is a provider of secure storage solutions for security-conscious households, high-net-worth individuals, celebrities, and businesses.
Locally, the company has seven private safe deposit vault facilities across the country, including its flagship Umhlanga and Sandton branches, where it offers clients the latest in security technology in a variety of underground storage options. These include safety deposit boxes, vaults, and private rooms.
This year, Standard Bank’s safe custody clients found a new safe haven for their prized possessions following the sale of the bank’s business to IBV. As part of the deal, IBV also assumed management of its seven private safety deposit box facilities, which it has refurbished in line with best-in-class international vault standards.
The contents of each of their safety deposit boxes are kept strictly private and confidential, but encrypted USBs have also become popular in recent years among clients seeking a safe way to store cryptocurrencies.
“Ultimately, however, we would urge South Africans not to leave the protection of their priceless goods and valuables to chance, especially given the high risk of robberies and theft over the holiday period. Enjoy the peace of mind you deserve by placing them in the secure facility that they require,” added Sewnarain.
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