Self Defense and Security Blog

AVOIDING VIOLENT CRIMES

Sexual Assault

1. Use initials instead of first names on mail boxes and phone listings.
2. Avoid being alone in an apartment laundry room or parking garage.
3. Never admit on the telephone or at the door that you are alone.
4. Remember that it is risky to accept a ride home from someone you have just met.
5. If you decide to physically resist an assault, remember that your goal is to incapacitate the attacker long enough to run to safety and get help.
6. If you have been a victim of sexual assault, call police immediately. Do not bathe or change clothes or you may destroy evidence.

Robbery

1. Avoid carrying valuable items or large amounts of money, especially in plain view.
2. Always think ahead. For example, when traveling at night, have your keys ready to enter the house or to start the car.
3. If you are confronted by a robber, the best advice is to cooperate.
4. If you resist, there is a greater chance that you may be hurt.

ATM

1. When using an automatic teller, always be watchful of any suspicious people around you.
2. The chances of being robbed at night are much greater, especially if you are alone.
3. If you see someone waiting and watching in the area of an ATM machine, do not use it. Leave the area and report the incident to the police immediately. You could save someone else from being a victim of crime.

Street Safety- Use Common Sense

1. Stay in well lighted, busy areas. Avoid walking alone and avoid known trouble spots.
2. When you carry a purse, hold it close to your body rather than by the handles. Do not wrap purse straps around your wrist, because you can get hurt in a struggle.
3. Carry only what you need in a purse or wallet, not everything you have.
4. Avoid using shortcuts through dark alleys, fields, or vacant lots.
5. If you think you’re being followed, cross the street and change directions a few times. Go quickly to a well-lighted place with lots of people. Do not go home. You don’t want an attacker to know where you live.

The most important thing to remember is to use common sense. I know that sounds simple, and it is, but it could keep you from being in a situation where crime can occur. If something doesn’t look quite right, chances are that it isn’t. If someone looks suspicious, chances are they may be, avoid them. If you feel uneasy about a place, leave. It may be nothing, but then again, you may have just avoided being a victim!

Till next time, stay safe.