A security firm has warned the public that there has been an increase in break-ins where criminals have gained access through the roofs of buildings in South Africa.

Fidelity Services Group noted that there has been a spate of robberies in areas in Germiston and Klerksdorp CBD recently, where criminals have been breaking through roofs.

Charnel Hattingh, Group Head of Marketing & Communications at Fidelity ADT, said in many of these incidents, the alarm panel or antenna of the alarm was accessed through the roof and, in some instances, installed in the roof.

“The criminals then break the panel or antenna, which prevents alarm signals from reaching the control room,” she explained.

Criminals have realised houses with tile roofs are easy targets.

Roof tiles can be quickly opened, and access into the house by breaking through the ceiling boards is simple.

Many roofs have become the weakest point of entry, and burglars are taking advantage of this at both business and residential premises.

After gaining access to the inside of the roof, burglars frequently locate the alarm system by following cables in the roof and then proceed to rip out or cut all cables to disable the alarm system.

According to another security firm, in some cases, burglars first break into a bathroom, where there are usually no alarm sensors, and then break into the roof from there.

Criminals gaining access to buildings and properties through the roof is nothing new, but the spike in incidents warrants a warning to those who need to access their security.

Hattingh said outdoor detection beams can be strategically placed around your property, which will trigger the alarm before a criminal has the chance to get to the actual building.

“Another alternative worth looking at is microwave Passive Infra-Red detectors, which are specifically designed for very hot areas – such as a roof. Normal infra-red detectors are not as effective when installed in extremely hot areas,” she said.

“It is important that, like any system, your security is checked and maintained regularly. Please take a walk around your property and look for possible access points to your property and roof.

“If you suspect there are vulnerable areas, call in a security expert to help you find solutions,” she added.

According to the SAPS’ data, burglaries at residential premises decreased by 4.4% year-on-year. However, compared to the second quarter of 2023, burglaries at residential premises increased by 6.8%.

Although robberies with aggravated circumstances at houses increased by only 1.7% year over year, they were up almost 5.2% from the second quarter.

This shows an increasing trend for both break-ins and robberies in South Africa.

While similar in nature (criminal trespassing and theft), burglaries and robberies are differentiated by the presence of the victim.

Burglaries occur when a thief enters a home intending to steal while the victim is absent, while robberies happen when the victim is present and threatened during the theft.

Despite decreasing year-on-year, burglaries still far outstrip robberies in South Africa in number, and – after drug-related crime and assault – is the biggest crime subcategory in the country.

Regarding burglaries, almost every province in South Africa is represented in the ‘top 11 worst areas’ list, and it is Plessislaer in Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) which has drawn the most cases of break-ins, followed by another KZN suburb (Mountain Rise) in second and Cambridge in the Eastern Cape is in third.

Looking at robberies, Gauteng has the highest number of home robberies (35%).

However, this is followed by KZN (23.2%), and its areas take up half of the places in the ‘top 11 worst areas’ list, with Plessislaer in KZN ranking again as the worst area.

Original Article - BusinessTech