Security in Royal Ascot
Security for homes in Royal Ascot is a matter of concern to all of us. Over the years there have been numerous breaches of security, in spite of people repeatedly being warned to take the necessary precautions.
The presence of Crime Watch in Royal Ascot has reduced the number of security breaches considerably, but these have not entirely stopped. Information gathered from such occurrences and data provided by Crime Watch and SA Police Services indicate that most of the break-ins and thefts that occur can be described as "inside or inside-related jobs", i.e. the criminals are often people living within the precincts, or have gained access to the precinct with means provided (mostly unknowingly) by residents, or with intent by domestic servants, contractors, even security staff.
At the quarterly RAMPOA trustees meeting on 9 May 2011, Brigadier Stander, Station Commander of Milnerton Police, presented some interesting facts about crime in the Royal Ascot area. Royal Ascot is regarded as a "hot spot" for house break-ins in Milnerton.
•	From June 2010 to April 2011 there were roughly 70 house burglaries in Royal Ascot.
•	About 25% of these occurred while the residents were at home.
•	Most burglaries in Royal Ascot occur between the hours of 9am and 2pm - ie IN THE DAY TIME.
•	A significant number are regarded as "inside jobs", short term tenants in a precinct are a major source of such inside jobs.
•	Another source of inside jobs are domestic servants and contractors who get to know the movement of residents in a precinct.
•	Many residents are very lax about securing their own homes, even to leaving windows and sliding doors open when they leave the house for a short while.
•	Residents should NOT rely on electric fencing and security gates at the precinct entrance to protect them, but MUST be responsible for their own security.
•	Managing agents must make sure that broken access gates and perimeter fencing are attended to immediately.
•	Burglars often enter precincts by tailgating other entering vehicles or slipping in when somebody has opened the gates. Residents should stop and make sure the gate closes behind them before somebody can sneak in.
•	Trustees should consider amending their precinct rules to prevent short term leases and also to enable them to scrutinise tenants (e.g. obtaining their ID numbers, etc).
Below are a number of additional important facts relating to security for all residents.
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Security facts.
•	Each home-owner and resident is primarily responsible for the security of their own home.
•	With a few exceptions, most residential precincts in Royal Ascot cannot be classified as "security complexes" - they are "gated complexes". The difference is that a security complex has strict access control manned by security personnel, with 24 hour security patrols within the complex.
•	Gated access and electric fences serve as deterrents only, and will not entirely stop criminals from gaining access to a precinct.
•	Most security breaches are committed either by persons living within a precinct, or who have been allowed access to a precinct by residents. This does not mean that residents are wilfully admitting criminals, but it could be that remote access controls have fallen into criminal's hands.
•	Recent surveys indicate that about 77% of all house robberies are based on inside information from gardeners, domestic workers and visitors.
•	Entering a precinct through the gate is also quite easy for a criminal. Most people entering or leaving just drive through, without checking whether anybody enters behind them - it is quite easy for people to slip in.
•	A country-wide trend seems to be that more burglars are breaking and entering homes when the residents are at home. This is supported by a survey which indicates that most break-ins occur between 7pm and midnight. Alarm systems are turned off and many people do not bother to lock security gates at doors when at home. Noise from the TV, from cooking or from conversation also covers the noise of burglars accessing the premises. The second highest number of robberies occur between 3am and 7am.
•	Our 24-hour security patrols by Crime Watch cannot be everywhere all the time. Their presence do keep a lot of bad elements away, but the determined burglar can evade them, and gain access to precincts.
•	An interesting fact that has emerged from studies in other countries is that hedges are probably more effective in preventing illegal access than electric fences - it is extremely difficult to climb over a good thick hedge. It is easier to crawl through it at ground level, thus a hedge will only be effective if the lower part is adequately fenced or walled off.
Steps to protect yourself and your property
The following steps are important to protect yourself, your family and your property:
•	Buglar-proof your home with burglar bars and security gates, or install a reliable alarm system in the house. Burglar-proofing your home will only cost about 1% of the total value of your house, but it will increase it's value by several percent.
•	If you do not have burglar-proofing, DO NOT leave sliding doors and low windows open at night, even if you are in the house.
•	Lock yourself in, and if you hear suspicious noises outside, DO NOT go outside to investigate on your own. Put on outside lights and look through windows before you venture outside. Determined burglars will not hesitate to attack if they feel threatened.
•	Do not leave valuable items like bicycles, or valuable toys, etc lying around in your garden, particularly at night or in the day if you are not at home.
•	MOST IMPORTANT - DO NOT RELY ON ELECTRIC FENCING OR CLOSED GATES TO KEEP MISCREANTS OUT.