According to captain Colette Weilbach of the Brooklyn SAPS, street robberies remain “opportunistic crimes that can only be reduced through a combined effort of the community and the police and security partnership in the area”.
The Brooklyn SAPS offers this advice to students in an effort to prevent street robberies:
1. Try to stay in a group when you go out. Walk with other students at night, including to and from your car.
2. Try to park in well-lit areas and be cautious when strangers approach you.
3. Do not offer a lift to people you do not know and do not accept rides from strangers.
4. Be aware of your surroundings and conceal your possessions until you have reached your destination – offenders tend to look for victims who seem unaware of their immediate surroundings, such as students who are using their cell phones or are wearing headphones.
5. Do not get distracted by people who want to sell items or services to you on the streets.
6. Ensure that your car is locked before you leave the area where you parked. Never allow anyone to distract you when you enter or leave your car.
7. Walk on the pavement facing oncoming traffic. Robbers sometimes operate from vehicles and stop next to their victim, rob them and drive off.
8. Most of these street robberies occur after midnight and in the early morning hours (When clubs and pubs close).
9. Limit alcohol intake because alcohol will impair your judgement and potential robbers will see you as an easy target.
10. Attend SAPS awareness programmes.
