There is a very real threat of becoming careless about personal security, despite it being a continued issue for many South Africans.
However, the mind of a criminal is no longer a mystery.
In his book, Home Invasion: Robbers disclose what you should know, Prof Rudolph Zinn gives inside info about how convicted perpetrators planned and executed house burglaries.
Zinn is a senior lecturer in forensic and crime investigation at Unisa.
Profiling perpetrators
Thirty research subjects who were interviewed during Zinn’s research conformed to the following: • All were men, except for two women who were convicted as accessories • They represented SA’s racial demographic profile • 83% were SA citizens and the rest were from other African countries • They were aged 19 to 26 • On average they would form a group of four during an attack • Only 20% had completed high school • 76% were unemployed but a number of these had chosen to make money solely from burglaries • 80% had not received any type of military- or security-related training and the rest had been employed as security guards or worked in the police or military • All were experienced criminals • Each admitted to having committed approximately 103 crimes over a seven-year period before being arrested for the first time • 70% came from what was described as dysfunctional or broken homes • A distinctive characteristic was the willingness to use lethal violence against victims.
Why burglars burgle
• 97% stated the primary factor was economic gain • 22% had also been involved in farm attacks • 65% of what was stolen was spent on cars, clothes, drugs, and alcohol and 35% was spent on survival, i.e. food and rent • The victims were targeted because of their wealth and other demographical factors such as race played no part • A contributory factor was the existence of role-models in their communities who were criminals and were wealthy because of this • 80% stated that their families, friends and acquaintance knew that they were involved in crime • Residential robbery was chosen because it resulted in more money more quickly and chances of being caught were seen as very low • All the perpetrators started with non-violent property crimes.
Choosing a target
• 63% would travel between 10 and 30 minutes by vehicle from where they lived to commit a residential robbery, however, most would travel for much longer if the target was deemed lucrative enough. • 77% chose targets for whom they had some inside information • They would prefer targets in neighbourhoods that had many entrance and exit points with easy access to main roads • They would tend to focus on middle-class households.
Planning and executing
• They spent some time prior to the attack doing surveillance; this could be as little as 30 minutes • 57% carried out residential robberies between 19:00 and 00:00, 14% between 03:00 and 07:00 and 7% between 10:00 and 12:00 • The most common way to access a property was to break in by forcing locks on gates or doors, breaking windows or disabling electric fences and climbing over the walls • Some used exceptions to this by attacking houses where there were social functions as they could simply walk through gates or doors that were left open • Beforehand they would try and identify the numbers and locations of everyone in the house • They would spend anywhere between 30 minutes and four hours inside a house.
The use of violence
• All used violence or the threat thereof when entering a residence to overcome resistance from the victims • 97% used firearms – they preferred pistols as these were easy to conceal and they liked the sound the weapon made when cocking it as this could intimidate victims. • 67% admitted committing assault, 30% to murder, 13% to rape and 13% to torturing victims • The torture most frequently mentioned was pouring boiling water or melted plastic on the victims or burning them with household instruments, like irons • They would most likely target women or children for torture during a robbery to force the male or adult to provide the information they required.
Protect yourself
• Have a number of small dogs inside the house that will bark when they become aware of suspicious activity outside • Teach them not to take food from strangers as perpetrators will not hesitate to poison them • Install razor wire or electric security fences around the entire perimeter of the house • Install pre-warning alarm systems such as sensors in the garden, along the outside walls, on the roof and in the ceiling • Subscribe to an armed response service • Install security lights outside, especially sensor lights in front of bedrooms • Install CCTV systems and an intercom system • Have layers of security as opposed to a single security system • Install strong doors and security gates with good quality locks • Install door alarms that are activated when residents are at home • Ensure curtains are drawn at night to prevent perpetrators from identifying the movement in the house • Set up a “secure room” to which residents can escape once they are aware of an attack • Panic buttons should be placed where residents are most likely to need them • Always check for signs of forced entry when entering or leaving your home • Keep a copy of the ID book of any employees who have access to or work at the house including names and contact details of their relatives.
Minimising personal risk during a burglary
• Don’t make any sudden movements or noise • Remain calm • Keep your hands visible, but do not raise them above your head as the perpetrator could think you are signalling for help • Demonstrate willingness to cooperate by either pleading for your life, or asking not to be hurt and saying that they can take what they want.
Source: Home Invasion: by Prof Rudolph Zinn (UNISA)