Security Risk Assessment and the Hunger Monster
When the hunger monster turns into crime, let’s talk about keeping your neighborhood safe. We’ve been chatting about risks and security for a while, and one big problem keeps coming up—hunger. A lot of people here don’t have jobs, and things are tough. Jobs are hard to find, and more people are losing theirs. In South Africa, the hunger monster is causing more crime. People who really need things resort to illegal activities to get them.
People start looking for other ways to get what they need, like doing crime or joining gangs. It’s surprising; even homeowners are buying stolen petrol and tires because they want a good deal. So, I decided to ask 73 regular people a tough question:
Would you steal to feed your family if you had nothing?
- All 73 people said yes.
- I told them it was against the law, but they said they would do anything to help their family.
Keep in mind that you can multiply every single unemployed person by five or even eight to get the average, but we’ll use five to represent the typical number of people who suffer from unemployment and the failure to deliver on promises.
On the business side,
There are corporate businesses that are willing to deal with corruption and tenders, and the corruption affects every aspect. Sometimes, unskilled people get jobs, and security is not good. This makes it easy for bad things to keep happening. All these things point to a future where crime gets out of control, making our society worse.
Some people think that if we don’t find a solution, South Africa might have a kind of war between hungry people and those who have things. It’s a scary future you need to think about when you look at your security. Remember, this isn’t made up. It’s what people all around South Africa have been saying for ten years. Everyone is upset about hunger and not having jobs, so they turn to crime to feed their families. The greater the hunger, the bigger the risk people will take.
Informers told me
Some of the informers told me that one day, others might take over properties at night, grab everything they can, and sell it. Criminals are getting smarter, using simple tools to commit crimes more easily. Think about the power problem today. Thieves can easily lift generators worth a lot of money with the help of hydraulic jacks and drive away.
These crimes are already in the news. People thought it’s impossible to steal such big things, but crime has shown it’s possible. It’s a sign that we need better security. Criminals use simple tools to lift and take heavy things. This isn’t just about stealing cars; it’s also about taking valuable stuff. If they can touch it, they can take it. This means we need better security to prevent future incidents.
What the informer said
A fight between hungry people and those with things might be true. When we told them the police and army would stop them, they laughed and said it wouldn’t happen. It’s not a nice reality, but we need to face it.
Hunger is a big problem. The hunger monster makes people do extreme things, and they stop worrying about breaking the law when they need to survive. People are worried about their loved ones and feel desperate, leading to desperate actions. I do not believe that stealing, hijacking, or kidnapping are acceptable because of the country’s status. Hunger leads to some crime, but later the crime becomes more violent.
Think about this:
If you can’t control and fix your security, hungry people might take and steal. While hunger might lead to some crimes, they can become worse and more violent over time.
It’s important to know that only relying on others, like the police, for security isn’t enough. People in charge need to take responsibility and have an independent security risk assessment done to keep things safe. By having a security risk assessment and making security a priority, you can work towards creating a safer environment for your home and business.
Written by Andre Mundell, Independent Security Risk Assessor– Alwinco.
We conduct security risk assessments throughout South Africa, which includes Pellissier, Pinetown, Cape Town, Rosebank, Midrand, Fourways.