Edition 9

SECURITY TIPS
25
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“Invest in vehicle
alarms
and tracking”.
“Always
remember life
over property.
Be safe out there”.
Mr. Johnson owns a warehousing business in Tema
and lives in a plush but quiet neighbourhood. He
recently purchased a brand new BMW X5, black
exterior with black leather interior. This is a vehicle he is
absolutely proud of and he ensures that it is maintained
in the best possible condition.
He generally wakes up around 9am and leaves for work
sometime before 11am. The roads are less busy at this
time and his neighbourhood is virtually empty.
Sometimes he comes across neighbours with the
same idea leaving for work. On very rare occasions, he
comes across a couple of taxis. He distinctly
remembers one taxi parked in the area with three
individuals who looked lost and didn't belong. But his
area is very safe and that incident barely registers in his
subconscious.
It's about 10:45am on a Tuesday and Mr. Johnson is on
schedule as usual, he leaves his house and drives his
normal route out of the neighbourhood. He notices this
taxi that seems not to belong driving up behind him
and attempting to overtake him. Idiots! Before he
could get the words completely out he feels a slight
impact and he knows the taxi has scratched his
beautiful machine. Mr. Johnson puts the vehicle in
park, key in the ignition, jumps out of the vehicle with
the ferocity of a beast only to be confronted by two
machete wielding men. They slap him hard on the face
and jumped into the vehicle and drove off with the taxi
in tow.
CRIMINAL MIND
The majority of us drive standard vehicles and although the
entire vehicle might not be worth the risk of committing grand
auto theft as was the case of Mr. Johnson, there are several
components of vehicle that are valuable. Low level criminals
generally target things they can easily grab and go, think radios,
cell phones, bags and brief cases or laptop bags. More
sophisticated groups go after vehicle parts that are
currently in high demand such as top racks, sensors even
transmission parts. Even more complex syndicates run
chop shops where an entire vehicle can be striped to its
component parts and scrap.
HELPFUL TIPS
Always be aware of your surrounding and listen to your intuition.
Always take a second to assess the situation. Tactical patience is a virtue.
Always ensure your vehicle is properly locked.
Never leave valuable items or items that appear valuable visible in your vehicle
Anticipate how long the vehicle will be left at a location and choose the location wisely. A parking lot may be full in the
morning but very empty at 7pm when your day is over, additionally there may be no lights around that time.
Invest in vehicle alarms and tracking. The technology is available here in Ghana.
Always remember life over property. Be safe out there.