House burglaries and robberies continue to plague greater Durban residents, and Enforce Security is continually analysing the latest crime trends and statistics in order to proactively manage residents’ risks.

Being one of the only security companies in the country with its own expert private investigations unit and crime analyst, Enforce makes use of this expertise to not only provide 360° optimal security solutions with state-of-the-art technology, but also assist the SAPS with dealing with crime and criminals at the source.

It is also able to give residents the necessary crime warnings based on accurate analysis of the latest crime trends, and is committed to working with communities to help rid their areas of crime.

Based on this analysis, Crime Analyst Caitlin Naylor is warning residents that forced entry is still a popular means of access to homes. Both house robbers and burglars make use of tools to cut through property fencing and burglar bars, and forcing open doors and windows.

Derailing gates or tampering with gate motors is also a common modus operandi for criminals to gain access to properties, while “fishing” items through windows was the most common method used over the festive season.

She says home robberies have been frequent occurrences in recent months, and that a few cases resulted in fatalities. Some robbers will â€" and are prepared to â€" encounter residents once they have broken into their homes, while others will deliberately target home owners in their driveways or at their front doors. There has also been a noted increase of syndicates following residents from banks.

“The days and times for house robberies vary, but during the weekend the common times are between 1am and 3:30am, while, during the week, the times are about 8am to 3:30pm. This is because the robbers expect people to be at work or occupied by only a domestic worker or stay-athome/work-from-home individual.” Naylor adds that weapons used are often firearms and knives, and that robbers are “certainly becoming more violent”.

Nico Potgieter, Head of Investigations at Enforce, explains that some syndicates deliberately target homes when residents are home as they need them to assist in locating or opening any safes. â€œThey also prefer to hold residents up in their homes as then they have more time to scour through the house. This is opposed to burglaries where they have only a few minutes once an alarm is sounded.”

He adds that while some suspects are of course opportunistic, many have been known to observe particular homes or streets for days or weeks before they hit.

“This allows them to establish if there are any neighbourhood watch patrols, strong security presence, and routines of residents,” he said.  Potgieter also urges residents to report even petty crime incidents as often those committing the crimes deemed by many residents as not dangerous or serious, are involved in serious crime.

As a recent example earlier this month, Hillcrest police apprehended a man found in possession of a suspected stolen bicycle. However, while at the police station, he was also identified by residents of the KaNqetho area in Hillcrest as the last person seen with an 80-year-old woman who was found dead the previous day. The suspect is now being investigated for her murder.

Potgieter explains that, in many cases, trespassers are only trespassers because they did not yet have time to break into, or rob a property. “A trespasser, given time, could be a house burglar, with the potential to then be a house robber or possibly even a rapist, depending on how the situation plays out.”