Your Personal Lines servicing team, from time to time, would like to bring to your attention various methods and ideas to help you manage and reduce your risk in areas such as:

  • Crime
  • Storm
  • Lightening / Power Surge
  • Driving habits
  • General maintenance

In this circular we will focus on certain crime preventative measures.

Follow home

Follow home crimes occur when victims are sourced from a location i.e. a shopping centre, bank or garage. This is a result of the potential targets owning high end vehicles or wearing flashy jewellery which is exposed to a possible scout. A scout could be a common member of the public blending into a specific environment or a bank teller for example. A strike vehicle will usually follow the potential target and the scout vehicle when leaving the source location. Contact will then be made either in a public place / public driveway in an attempt to rob you of the valuables picked up by the scout. In order to prevent these attacks from occurring you have to always remain vigilant of your surroundings.

Driveway awareness

Furthermore you are encouraged to practice driveway awareness. Check that there are no unknown males or vehicles nearby your property before you open your gate that you do not know. If you are unsure, do not stop your vehicle, drive around the block and call your residence or community security company.

Other hints and tips

  • Keep your doors and gate closed and locked
  • The perimeter of your property should be armed 24/7
  • Keep working panic buttons in easily accessible places throughout your home
  • Make sure you identify who is at your gate. Check that there are no suspicious vehicles or males loitering nearby before you allow anyone inside the premises
  • Be vigilant and brief your domestic staff not to allow anyone unexpected onto the property.
  • Save your security company’s emergency number on to your cell phone as well as your staff’s cell phones
  • Make sure that the people who work for you are trustworthy and do not have a criminal background. Vet your staff.

Holiday home

Holiday homes are particularly vulnerable strangely enough more so when occupied than unoccupied. The reason being, the holidaymaker does not apply the same risk preventative measure as outlined above. Valuables are often left out in the open and easily accessible. Furthermore the security system of the holiday home is invariably not activated and the windows or doors not secured.

Not only this circular but all future circulars will be posted on the Hamtern Assist App or emailed through, depending on your product.