Burglars come with the rains

Mar 26, 2003

The long awaited rain season has started. It has saved us from the scorching sun and heat, which had made homes, offices and vehicles unbearable.

By John Kamya

The long awaited rain season has started. It has saved us from the scorching sun and heat, which had made homes, offices and vehicles unbearable. The rains also saved us from the dust and associated allergies.

To farmers, it is time to plant crops. However, rains have got associated disadvantages. One of these is the increase in the rate of certain crimes, especially burglary and theft.

During the rains, the cases of burglary increase tremendously. There are several reasons for this state of affairs.

One is that when it rains at night, there is little chance of household occupants hearing the noises that may be made by the burglars as they break into the houses. Secondly, as it rains at night, there is little chance that security guards brave the rain and guard/patrol.

It is also true that many people who would rather be moving about will be indoors, therefore thugs know that the roads are clear of would-be obstacles.

According to James Ochaya, the commander of the police 999 patrol unit, even when it rained during the day, people tend to sleep quite early, and deeply due to the cold. They may not easily hear the burglars’ noise outside.

Ochaya cites November 15, 2002 to Saturday 16, 2002 when five burglaries were committed during a heavy night downpour. In just a spell of two hours, thugs had already ran-sacked homes in Kazo (Nabweru), Muyenga zone II and zone B, Mawanda Road (Kasasiro zone) and in Seguku (Naziba zone). They took off with valuable household property like TVs, video decks, radios, money and others.

Burglary is one of the crimes most committed in Uganda, only beaten by common thefts, assaults and defilement. Last year, 1,929 cases of burglary were reported to police, with loss of property worth sh2.2b.

This is therefore not to scare you but to warn you to take care and to take preventive measures.

There is need to keep the safety of your houses in mind. You can step up your home security by improving on the strength of your doors, fitting them with burglar proofing, or fitting them with stronger locks.

Ochaya also advises that you can add a metal chain to your door because on top of added security, it makes noise as burglars attempt to break in. It is also important to improve on the security around your home at night.

You need to treat every noise with suspicion, check it out, and call the police in case of danger. “The police will be extra alert during this rainy season. People should call us on 999 for fixed telephones or 112 on mobile phones and we shall be there,” says Ochaya.

He also assured the public that police officers are on duty with or without rains. Remember that your security starts with you, and that prevention is better than cure.

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