Summer in Johannesburg means thundershowers. We bless the rains that are falling, with December being one of the wettest months in Johannesburg.  Our dams are filling up nicely with the Vaal at 93%! On the other hand the rain can also be a big inconvenience for many, including your home security and crime in Johannesburg.

Firstly let’s talk about your gate motor. If your gate motor has not been correctly installed following electrical certification you may find yourself in a sticky situation. Poorly installed gate motors with exposed cables are at high risk of shorting from water.  The gate battery back-up can only last so long before you will need to switch over to manual opening and closing of your gate.  This obviously puts you and your house at great security risk. 

The other factor to take into account is the shielding that rain and storms give to criminals.  The noise of a storm can help muffle the sounds of someone breaking into a home.  Runaway branches sometimes set off security systems which result in the system being turned off to avoid false alarms. 

What you can do:

1) Take every sound you hear during a storm seriously and call your armed response.

2) Have a working electric fence:

This acts as an early warning system if someone does try to climb over the wall - a siren and a signal to your armed response company is effective in scaring off intruders. Please also be sure to electric fence all four walls of your perimeter - criminals do not always enter through the front wall or gates.

3) Reinforced gate:
A gate should not be easy to lift off its rails. Anti-lift brackets are cost effective ways to ensure your gate is well reinforced. Make sure your pedestrian gates are secure paying special attention to the locks.

4) Remove foliage:

Bushes are one of the best places for criminals to hide on your property. Trimming bushes and removing foliage is an inexpensive yet effective. Removing foliage also prevents false alarms from your electric fence. 

5) Alarm on at night:
Do not dismiss an alarm activation as a false alarm, especially during a storm. Let your armed response company do a property check. that is what you are paying them for!