How to ensure your safety during this festive season

Those travelling outside the city or country, please don’t communicate your plans on social media. You will alert the criminals that your home is free with out any occupant. These crude guys will rob you clean. Share your travel plans with a few trusted inner people.

COMMENT | Samson Tinka | The 2024 Festive season is here. It comes with merry making, rush hours, urgent movement of goods and people on short and long journeys, sales peak time, among other activities.

The above activities trigger anxiety, excitement, high speeding on the roads, over drinking of alcohol, congestion at airports, markets, shops and, towns, which all compromises human and personal security, health and safety. In order to come out of this festive session unscathed – without losing property and other valuables – a set of secure and safe practices ought to be followed.

What are the common drivers of crime during festive season?

• Drinking alcohol and driving while drunk
• Carrying of huge sums of money
• Driving for long hours without a breaks
• Last minute shopping
• Leaving urban homes unattended
• Use of weak locking equipment at homes, shops, factories and commercial stores
• Unregulated night movement

Often during this period, two characters appear of the streets – criminals and victims of criminal activities. Whichever side one belongs, it compromises ones heathy, safety and security. It is important that you do not belong to any side. Be a peace ambassador. It is possible.

Home security

This is critical and a few interventions can be deployed to secure our homes especially urban homes where insecurity is slightly high compared to rural setting. Ensure that there are sufficient security lights, strong locking mechanisms like durable locks, intruder alarms on doors and windows, steel burglarproof, security dogs, armed night watchman and enough yaka units to keep your home lights on. Stack away valuables like land titles, academic documents, sale agreements and travel documents.

Travel safety

Police crime records show increased numbers of crash accidents during festive season. This is largely associated with three things, over speeding, driving while using a phone, driving under the influence of alcohol. Some accidents can also be attributed to vehicles being in dangerous conditions. Travel safety demands that we plan for our journeys to avoid over speeding, stop for breaks every after two hours, service the car well on time to make sure that its in good condition, hire a driver if you are not conversant with driving long journeys, wear seat belts at all times. Wearing of seat belts is not only for the driver and co-driver seat passengers but all passengers in the car. Seat belts are proven over decades to minimize impact in case of an accident.

Those travelling outside the city or country, please don’t communicate your plans on social media. You will alert the criminals that your home is free with out any occupant. These crude guys will rob you clean. Share your travel plans with a few trusted inner people.

Avoid last minute shopping.

From 20^th Dec to 24^th evening, most malls, arcades, markets, shops, supermarkets will be jammed to the brim by the shoppers. We all know that Dec 25^th of every year is Christmas Day. Why would you wait until today to go shopping for children clothes, parents and gifts. To me, it is a bad behavior, an unfortunate practice and a sign of unseriousness. The associated effects of last minute shopping include, buying items at high prices, purchasing fake goods, and eventually being tracked and robbed by bafere and conmen.

Do not carry physical cash.

December of every year is a spending month that is why there a notion that says January is made of 60 days. Most people enter January when they are relatively cashless. Carrying of cash, wallets, handbags, or backpacks is very dangerous. It’s safer to keep money on phone or in the bank. Most shops accept mobile money or bankcards payments. It is safer that way. Of course, we have those people who continue to advance an argument of the small bank charges being the reason they would prefer to carry cash. As a risk management profession, I advise everyone to only carry cash under 50kUgx maybe for transport. Get used to safer ways of securing hard-earned money.  Most banks have created e-banking platforms that can be easily accessible and used anywhere in Uganda. Platforms like flexi pay, agent banking can always avail us with cash when needed.

Be aware of the criminals

Situational awareness is key for safety and security. Everyone ought to know their surroundings. Most dangerous areas during this festive season include, shopping malls parking, taxi and bus parks, concerts, night clubs, markets, streets, over-night prayer venues etc. Don’t leave valuables like laptops, hand bags, cash, important documents, in the car or anywhere out of your sight. The bad guys are more alert than you. They have laid every trap to make a kill. Remember, they did not save any money to enjoy in this festive season but they know there is you and me who is reckless with securing our valuables and they will strike at any time. These criminals don’t have any specific looks, dress code, color or ethnic background  Just suspect everything and everyone.

Report any suspicious activity to police or local authorities

Whereas police, the UPDF and intelligence agencies are there to secure us, its our responsibility as Ugandans to report suspicious movements, characters and objects to authorities. Police will not arrest you for reporting. The terrorists are still active, and they normally exploit such seasons because they prefer to hit and hit hard. With a wanaichi alert, terrorists can be deterred, defeated or their activities minimized. Reporting can be by phone, physically or through a third party. What we ought to know and do is to make a timely report.

Larger gatherings need extra safety protocols 

Christmas and end year activities involve parties, prayers that attract large crowds. Event managers must ensure that safety and security of their crowds is ensured. Outsource services of security-police, private security guards to secure your functions. Source for this service well on time so that these security forces can do security assessments on time to enable them deploy effectively both covertly and otherwise.

Carry first aid medicine

Sickness doesn’t share schedules with us. It strikes and sometimes in a rush and rough ways. Christmas is associated with huge amounts of different foods and drinks. We tend to eat as if we are from the dead. Too much food and drinks can cause serious stomach upset . Over the counter tablets like charcoal, fragile, magnesium can be of assistance. Also carry along paracetamol and any antibiotic that can aid the patient as plans are made to take them to the health facility. Also have a contact of a physician in your phone book for online assistance.

Stay informed through radios, TVs, and social media 

Having timely information aids in decision making. Media updates us on what’s happening around us like when accidents have happened, road closures, bridges that have caved in and fire break outs

Business premises security and safety

Business owners, directors and senior management normally take their vacation during Christmas. It is important that one senior officer is designated to keep in touch with security teams on the status of the business premises, warehouses, stores, banks, shops, garages etc. On duty security officer should share 12-hourly situation report with senior manager on duty. Security teams tend to switch off during this period. They also cave in in to the craziness of Christmas and forget their cardinal role of securing businesses end to end. IT teams especially for big businesses like banks, airlines; insurance companies must be extremely alert. The 30 days of December, always account for almost 50% of the yearly criminal index.

Ultimately, the holiday season is not about big gatherings, expensive presents or having the biggest turkey on the table. It is about finding meaning, and showing kindness and caring, not only to others but also to ourselves. This is realistic if we maintain peace, security and safety.

Every time you opt to be negligent, reckless, unsafe and unsecure, remember that there are people that depend on you, love you and your absence may impact on them negatively. These people include your children, parents, nieces and nephews that you pay school fees for. I therefore, implore you to be extremely conscious, alert, steady, careful, security mindful so that we meet again on this page next year same time.

My family wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Do not forget that a day alive is better than a day dead or crippled.

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