So where were the police?

So where were the police?

On Monday night Wierda Brug CPF had their monthly meeting as usual. This time the SAPS were a no – show, and we can only wonder what exactly this means for the citizens that are concerned about the escalating amount of crime in their neighborhoods.

Neither were the Metro there, so no help forthcoming from that quarter either.

I can only hope that this is not going to be a trendsetter for the rest of the year.

Happy new year everybody.

Happy new year everybody.

Well I suppose that wishing you all a crime free year is very ambitious, but there you go, I really do hope you have a crime free year.

However, seeing as we all fully realize the situation that we live in, I will ask you to please help me to do something about crime by actively taking part on my forum, togetheragainstcrime.net . Let us tell each other about our experiences, about the dangers lurking in our communities, and about ways in which we can protect ourselves and our families from criminals and their activities.

May you all be blessed with a prosperous year, and above all, may you have a safe year.

LeonDude

Marijuana

Also known as weed, skunk, dagga, pot etc.

It is a dry, shredded mixture of green and brown leaves, flowers, stems and seeds. Marijuana is usually smoked by rolling into a cigarette known as a joint. Some people mix cigarette tobacco into the leaves to make the joint easier to smoke. It is also smoked in pipes, such as bottlenecks.
It is also used to make tea and used in cookery to make cakes. A concentrated resinous form is known as hashish.
The smoke has a distinctive smell, much like grass burning, a sweet and sour odor.

The immediate effects of smoking marijuana includes faster heart beat, dry mouth and bloodshot eyes. The smoker often gets the munchies, meaning they crave food. Users often suffer from paranoia, and will often find humor in anything, causing them to laugh uncontrollably.
Marijuana is often seen as a gateway drug to other more dangerous drugs.



References
www.drugabuse.gov

Methamphetamine

It is a white, odorless, bitter tasting powder or small crystals.

Also known as Ice, Crystal, Crystal Meth, Meth, crank, glass and in South Africa commonly called Tik, methamphetamine is an addictive drug It is one of the most difficult addictions to treat.

In South Africa, many people think that Meths is only used on the Cape flats. This is untrue, the drug is used right throughout the country and is a big problem.

This drug is a psychoactive stimulant. It mostly increases energy and alertness, but in higher doses induces euphoria, increases sexual pleasure and enhances self – esteem. It can also increase anxiety, irritability, aggression, obsessive behaviors, weight loss, irregular heart beat and paranoia.

Meth Mouth
Users of Meth often lose their teeth, a condition known as meth mouth. It is not true that this condition is caused by the corrosive actions of the drug itself. Instead, it is probably caused by a number of factors coinciding with the use of Meth, such as dry mouth and bad oral hygiene. Other factors also play a part.

The drug is most commonly administered through injection, smoking and snorting. Because of the use of needles when injecting, HIV and Hepatitis B and C are also known to spread with the use of Meths.

How to recognize Crystal Meths?
The first image shows the pipe that Meths are commonly smoked through.
The second image is a photo of Crystal Meths.


References:
Wikipedia.
National institute on drug abuse (USA gov)

Drawing money at banks

So maybe not everybody had the opportunity to see the program on television Sunday night, about people being robbed after drawing large amounts of money from a bank. Here is a quick overview of what happens.

The client goes into the bank and draws a large amount of cash, let’s say thirty thousand Rands. The client drives home, and at home he is confronted by gun – wielding thieves, demanding the exact amount of money he has just drawn.

Suspicion now falls on two places. To know the exact amount of money that the client had on him, the thief will have to have had a contact in the bank. This means either there is a spotter in the bank, or the thief is getting his information directly from the teller or someone else behind the counter. Now a spotter standing around idly in a bank is, in my opinion, highly unlikely. All banks that I have been in will kick such a person out in no time at all.

Of course the banks are denying anything of the sort, but the facts are clear and I don’t mean to get into an argument with them. Instead, I will rather tell people how to avoid the situation.

Avoiding the situation is easy. Simply do not ride around with such large amounts of money on you. I know some people have to pay wages, but the banks themselves have created cheap bank accounts for people who earn little or no money. Take your employees and create accounts for them, it will make life much safer for both you and your employees. You can then pay them over the Internet from the comfort of your own home, and they don’t have to walk around with a wad of cash and stand the chance to lose it.

Face it, our workers often have to ride on dangerous trains and taxis, walk in dangerous neighborhoods and sleep in dangerous places. Take the cash off them and give them a card, and you immediately take away some of the danger of losing a weeks wages.

And a last benefit. Find out from your bank how big the difference is between drawing large amounts of cash and using an Internet transfer, and you might find that you can save loads of money by using Internet banking.

All this from a person who, for years, did not use Internet banking because he thought it was unsafe. Well it’s not as unsafe as walking around with thirty thousand Rands worth of cash!

Stay safe.
LeonDude

Drugs abuse symptoms

Drug abuse is one of the most difficult things in life that a person might have to come to terms with. Drug use often starts out with the use of recreational drugs under peer pressure, but often escalates into full blown addictions from where it is very difficult to turn back.

I’ve decided to do a few posts about drug abuse, and in this first one I want to look at the symptoms of drug abuse. It angered me to find that parents often go into complete denial about their children and drugs. Recently I have heard of a case where the domestic worker told her employee about the children using drugs, only to lose her job. But the truth is that children can find drugs as easy as they can find their own homes. With cell phones, the Internet and an overpopulated schooling system, it has never been easier to find drugs than today. Don’t get me wrong though, children are not the only drug users. There are just as many adult drug users. Here is how to recognize if your loved one is using drugs.

Physical signs of addiction
Basically there are two types of drugs, one that takes you up and gives you energy, and one that takes you down and makes you lazy. Uppers chase up the blood pressure and metabolism, and reduce the ability to sleep. Downers like opiates and barbiturates slows things down, reduces blood pressure, breathing and alertness.
• Watch out for cycles of increased energy, restlessness, and inability to sleep (often seen in stimulants)
• Excessive sleep
• Abnormally slow movements, speech or reaction time, confusion and disorientation.
• Sudden weight variations such as weight gain or loss.
• Wearing of clothes to hide specific areas of the body, to hide scarring where injections had been given.
• Methamphetamine (Known as TIK in South Africa) causes progressive severe dental problems.
• Check for drug paraphernalia such as unexplained pipes, roach clips or syringes.
• Chronic troubles with sinusitis or nosebleeds might be present with drugs taken nasally. (Snorted).
• A persistent cough or bronchitis, leading to coughing up excessive mucus or blood can be seen with smoked drugs.

Mental and emotional signs of abuse and addiction
Because drugs are abused for the good feelings they provide, one of the key symptoms is the affection of mood, depending on the type of drug used. Mental and emotional signs include:
• Cycles of being unusually talkative, energetic and cheerful.
• Apathy, depression, paranoia and delusions
• Heightened states of agitation, irritability and anger.
• Lowered threshold for violence
• Looking “spaced out” and being unresponsive.
• Temporary psychosis, hallucinations

Paperwork – The first important step

How many times have you heard that a case was thrown out of court because of a technicality? Once too often perhaps?

Well this is what happens when the paperwork is not done correctly. A defense lawyer will jump on anything to get his client to walk free – that is after all what he is there for, whether said client is guilty or not.

Paperwork starts the moment the police take a statement from you. You have to have your facts straight, because any inconsistencies will look very bad in court. Often, more than one plaintiff will give a statement, such as a husband and wife. When these things reach court they have to be consistent or the defense will walk all over it. If you can, try to write the statement yourself, to make sure that names of people, streets and so on are spelled correctly.

The suspect, if caught, will also be required to make a statement. In trying to defend himself he/she will try to cover their tracks, and if your statement together with that of your spouse is accurate enough to show the inaccuracies with that of the accused, it will help to put the accused behind bars.

The police docket must also be up to scratch. The street number, name and so on must all be correct, or the investigating officer will have a hard time working the case – and your case will be dragged out – if not thrown out. Double check your phone number to make sure the people can contact you if needed.

If possible, try to make a copy of your statement for your own purposes.

Remember to also log onto my security website at http://www.togetheragainstcrime.net/forum/index.php

Stay safe!
LeonDude