Personal Safety Measures You Can Take To Avoid Being A Crime Victim
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Video Courtesy of Bakersfield PD
Each day I check the Local section of our newspaper to see what types of criminal "activities" are happening in our community. It’s nice to know what areas to avoid. What I see are home burglary/home invasion crimes being committed, robberies and assaults on the streets, business break ins, shootings, stabbings, and more - and this is just in one small city in Northern Indiana.
There are other cities located nearby - large and small - that must have the same type of crime going on. When you read about this type of criminal activity, you have to wonder if people are just unaware that crime is out there? Are they not being aware of what’s going on around them and at least being alert when potential strangers approach them in either an aggressive or confrontational manner? Or are they just plain stupid to certain rimes that are consistently happening over and over??
I’m sorry to have to be so blunt but some of these crimes make you wonder if everyone - including the criminals - are on drugs!! Are we all doing everything we can to proactively ensure our personal safety - at home or wherever we are?
What is your personal protection/safety plan? How are you going to protect and defend yourself against a criminal attacker? One suggestion would be to take a self-defense class to learn defensive techniques that can help you disable an attack/attacker enough to get away to safety. I hightly recommend doing this.
Second, you might consider carrying some type of backup personal protection like pepper spray/mace or bump up the protection a knotch - depending upon activities in your neighborhood - and carry a TASER or stun gun.
Once criminals realize people aren’t going to take these kind of attacks or assaults without a fight - maybe they will get the message. In reality - I DOUBT IT!! Unsuspecting people are just plain easy targets. Especially when the common thought of most people is "crime won’t happen to me!"
Here is a snippet of what was in the Local section of the South Bend Tribune today. I read it to my husband and he just shook his head as if to say "the world has gone crazy!!" What has happened to some people? You know - criminals? What has caused so many people to devalue another person’s life? Some of the problems lie in the fact that the economy is tanking, jobs are scarce, and robbing others is really pretty easy!! DON’T make it easy on the criminal. Be prepared and carry some type of personal protection. As I’ve said SOOOOO many times before - take a self-defense training course to learn the fundamentals of how to protect and defend yourself if attacked.
Personal Assault/Attack Crimes On The Rise - SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE (03/03/10)
- Police arrest 3 after shots fired…
- Robber spies witness, leaves…
- Police investigate suspected theft…
- Robber shoves victim into closet - burglarizes home…
- Employee suffers stab wound Sunday…
- Family violence topic of seminar…
- Man reports being tied up, robbed…
- Police say local heroin traded dented…
- Frightened rider jumps from car…
- Ex-boyfriend says shots fired at him…
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Teen says woman stole her purse…
Imagine the list of "daily" crimes in larger cities like Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and others. Makes you think of a "war zone" - and with that you need some type of protection to defend yourself!
Again, citizens need to become more aware of what is going on around them and stay alert to strangers approaching them. When going out at night try to go with others, stay out of areas of your town or community that is crime-ridden especially when alone late at night, and know how to protect yourself.
Stay Aware…Stay Alert…Stay Alive!! Learn how you can avoid being a crime victim!!
Avoid Being A Crime Victim-7 Personal Awareness Safety Tips!
Video Courtesy of Bakersfield PD
We all seem to live such a fast-paced life. We are constantly on the run - from work to the gym, taking the kids to school functions, sporting events, going to after work functions, and the list goes on and on. Being so busy and distracted we can sometimes forget "little" things that are simple, common-sense safety awareness guidelines. We know them, we know what we should be doing, but because we’re preoccupied we forget. It’s that one time you forget that could cause you to end up being a victim of a criminal assault or attack.
Here are seven (7) safety tips to consider when you are out by yourself or even if you are with someone. With the number of personal robberies and assaults happening in communities across the USA, we need to be armed with the knowledge and ability to protect ourselves wherever we are!
7 Personal Awareness Safety Tips To Remember Wherever You Are!
1. Be fully aware of your surroundings and totally alert as you walk to your car. Avoid being complacent and not paying attention when walking alone. This means avoid talking on your cell phone, or listening to your iPod/MP3 player when going to your car in a parking lot, covered parking garage, or walking alone at night. The distracted or preoccupied person is exactly who an attacker is looking for as his next victim.
2. Have your keys in your hand and ready as you walk to the car. Be prepared to use your keys as a weapon if you are assaulted or attacked. A great secondary weapon would be to carry some type of legal personal protection like pepper spray, mace, stun gun or TASER. Know how to use your keys as a weapon and/or personal protection for self-defense.
3. Remotely unlock only the driver door when near your car. If you have a newer car, you are able to remotely unlock the doors from a certain distance away. Wait until you are near the car before you unlock the driver side door. If you press the remote button more than once it unlocks all doors. You don’t want a criminal who may be following or watching you attempt to get into your car. When unlocking your door, always be observant to who is around. Once inside your car, immediately lock the doors.
4. Before getting into your car (especially at night) make sure no one is hiding inside. Carry a loud personal alarm with a flashlight built in so you can easily check inside the car at night. Many people are not in the habit of locking their car doors. They should develop this safety habit . Don’t make it too easy for the criminal to find an unlocked car, hide inside, and wait to attack his unsuspecting victim. Always lock your car doors.
5. Don’t leave valuables unattended. Criminals love an opportunity and if they see a package or purse unattended they may decide to rip it off. When unloading shopping packages, groceries or strapping your baby inside the car, put your purse in the front seat area first. Always be aware and monitor who is nearby. This can help you avoid being attacked.
6. Be ready to run for your life if confronted by an attacker. If you’re going to be shopping for hours, be sure to wear comfortable shoes…and that’s not high heels. If you are attacked going to your car, you may not be able to get away quickly if you’re wearing 3” high heels. Keep in mind that if attacked your main goal is to disable the attacker enough to quickly get away to safety. And that means running like crazy. Nix the heels for some comfortable shoes. Think safety first.
7. Avoid parking near large vehicles, lots of high shrubbery to hide in, or up close to a building – especially when by yourself. If you are walking to your car alone after dark in an unlit area covered with shrubs, you may become a target for an attacker looking for an easy victim. If you can’t find a parking spot and end up parking in a "bad" location, have a trusted friend or ask the mall security to walk you to your car (if you are at the shopping mall).
These seem like such simple common sense tips, but it’s amazing how people forget - then end up being a victim of a robbery or criminal attack. Develop your own personal safety plan so these tips are engrained and automatically become a habit.
Stay Aware… Stay Alert… Stay Alive!
Stalking Safety Tips For Women
Stalking is defined as the intentional, unlawful and repeated harassment and/or following of a person, which causes that person to be in reasonable fear that he/she may be injured. Stalking may start out with repeated unwanted contacts, including calls, visits, and gifts. Stalking may include harassment, threats, or obscenity – in person, by phone, via the internet, or in writing. Stalking may escalate quickly and without provocation or encouragement by the victim. A small percentage of stalkers follow celebrities or strangers, but the majority of perpetrators stalk someone with whom they have had a past or present relationship. If you think you are being stalked:- Report the activity to the police.
- Send a clear message to the person that the relationship is over. Do not be ambivalent.
- Attempt to avoid all contact with the stalker.
- Keep an accurate journal of all incidents such as sighting (include date and time), contacts, phone calls, written correspondence, and unusual incidents that may be connected.
- Keep all letters, packages, and taped phone messages.
- Trace all phone calls per telephone company instructions.
- Inform family, friends, neighbors, managements, co-workers and workplace security. Have them notify you or the police if they are contacted or followed by the stalker.
- Be careful about your surroundings when alone.
Staying Safe At College-20 Common Sense Safety Awareness Tips
Young men and women are heading back to college in the next 2-3 weeks to begin a new journey. For some this will be their first year but for others they are now college veterans.
Going to college can be one of the greatest times of your life. It is also a time when many young men and women find a reality that they may not have expected or are prepared for.
Prepare to be thrust into a much different lifestyle than what you have been living. For women you may have to learn to be more tactful and assertive in certain types of situations. Since crimes on campus are more prevalent among young women - following the common sense campus safety tips may prove to be very helpful.
You will be away from the watchful (and loving) eyes of "mom and dad", so you will need the strength and wisdom of what you’ve learned from them. As you leave home, your personal safety is going to be very important to your family and it should be to you as well. It seems we hear way too about young college-aged women who have become victims of terrible crimes. Don’t become a victim of crime. In fact, refuse to be a victim of crime and follow the 20 common sense safety tips listed. Read more
Attacks In Parking Garages & Mall Lots - Safety Tips On Staying Alive! (Part 1)
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Courtesy of News 4 You Update
PARKING GARAGE/LOT SAFETY TIPS - PART 1
Here is an incident where a young lady was assaulted and robbed while in a public parking garage in downtown South Bend, Indiana. Luckily she lived to tell about it. The video should give you some good parking garage safety tips. We have listed additional safety tips for staying safe and staying alive in PART 2 of this article.
(Who in their right mind would’ve ever thought you would need safety tips to get to your car after shopping??? We live in a crazy world! My advice…be proactive on your personal safety…know how to defend and protect yourself and carry personal protection).
SOUTH BEND — A woman was assaulted and robbed Friday morning in a downtown South Bend parking garage while she was trying to walk to work. Police are still searching for the two men responsible.
For a woman who works nearby, the incident was especially shocking. For 18 years Jacqueline Hagedorn has been working downtown, and for the most part, it’s been pretty uneventful until now. Read more
Safety Tips For Staying Alive in Parking Garages & Mall Lots! (Part 2)
Safety Tips for Staying Alive in Public Parking Garages-Mall Parking Lots
For violent crimes, parking garages and lots are ranked second after crimes committed on residential property. Specifically, in parking garages, dim lighting combined with several parked vehicles make it easy for criminals to hide.
As you are walking to your car in a public parking garage, remember where you parked your car. Keep the parking level information handy to make it easy to find your car. As you approach your car be aware of others who may be lingering nearby. This is a perfect time for a criminal predator to be waiting for an unconscious victim as she walks to her car while looking in her purse for car keys, talking on a cell phone, or juggling packages totally unaware of what is going on around her. Read more
Top (5) Personal Safety Tips On Staying Safe and Alive!
Everyday we get up and go about our daily lives and activities without even giving a second thought to our personal safety. In reality, we shouldn’t have to because personal safety should be a part of our being. It should be second nature…a habit that we don’t even have to think about it. We should instinctively know that our personal safety, as well as those we care about, is a high priority no matter what business we are in, what we do, or where we live - from the safest, small community to the largest, most crime-ridden city.
There’s an old adage that many women think concerning violence and crime and that is, “It won’t happen to me.” Either they say, “I’m too big to be raped,” “I’m married and live in a safe area” or “I’m way too old, no one is going to rape me.” That very thinking usually comes about because it hasn’t happened to them, but they are still at risk and at any given time it could happen to them. If you go through life without considering the possibility that a sexual assault crime could happen…then what will you do if it does? You need to be prepared and ready in the event that somebody does try (at some point) to attack you. Read more
Keeping Her Wits About Her and Awareness Saved Her Life! (Part I)
It was August of last year that Cidney Smith, IUPUI student, and a friend of my son was carjacked and kidnapped outside an upscale mall parking lot in Indianapolis. Luckily, Cidney kept her wits about her and was able to ultimately escape before her kidnapper could do any major harm to her.
One thing Cidney said that actually helped her know what to do to save her life was something she had seen on an Oprah show. There was a self-defense security expert and victims of crime on the show discussing what to do if you are attacked, assaulted, or kidnapped. She remembered some of the things the expert and victims had said to do and she did them.
What a brave young lady. Most women without any knowledge of what to do in a situation like this would tend to give up or do something to cause the attacker or kidnapper to do grave harm to them.
Here is an excerpt of the events that happened to Cidney on that horrible day in Indianapolis. It is my belief that self-defense, safety awareness, and knowledge of how to protect yourself if attacked or assaulted can ultimately save your life as it did for Cidney. Read more
Realtors - Become Proactive In Your Home Security & Personal Safety
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Courtesy of CA Home Security
If you’re a real estate professional, your primary job is meeting with complete strangers – showing homes, holding open houses, and even being out walking to your car late at night…all in the hopes that you secure a new client that you sell a home or property to. You’re faced with potentially risky situations almost every day. Because of the very nature of your job…..your safety should be a main priority for you.
There are crazy predators who seek out female realtors – not really caring who you are so long as you are a female. Then there are those crazies who seek out realtors who are high visibility agents. These are the million dollar agents who are on the cover of magazines, on the billboards, in the newspapers – their name is highly recognizable.
These predators see million dollar agents and assume you must be earning that full amount for yourself. There have been many realtors who have been followed to their homes by such predators and attacked in their own home. Some agents have been stalked and had their homes burglarized. Consider your safety and the safety of your home and family Priority Number 1.
First and foremost, be sure you follow all of the Safety Rules for your business:
1. Never have a first meeting with a customer at a property. Always meet customers in the office, where you can introduce them to the broker, manager or other colleagues. If you must, meet them at a public place to introduce yourself and conduct a buyer interview.
2. Leave an itinerary with the office. Let someone know what houses you will be viewing—and be sure the customer knows there is a schedule you’ll be following.
3. Carry a cell phone. Stay in contact with someone while you’re out in the field.
4. Don’t wear flashy jewelry or carry several credit cards. Carry only a small amount of cash or one credit card, and have a key ring with just your car key and lockbox key on it.
5. Use your own car. Be in control of the presentation and be the guide. If a customer wants to drive, have him or her follow you. And don’t park where you can be blocked in.
6. Always enter through the front door. If you have to use a side door, have the customers wait at the front door and let them in that way.
7. Inside the house, stay between the customer and an exit. Don’t ever walk into a room first. It’s safer and a better experience for the customer.
8. Have a secret code. Create a code word or phrase to let your colleagues know that you’re in need of help. Then, if you feel threatened, you could call your office and say, “Could you please call Mr. CODEWORD to cancel my appointment?” This let’s the office know that you need help without giving any indication to the listener.
9. Carry pepper spray if it’s legal in your area. This may be used for defense from animals, snakes or any predators and give you time to get to safety. Read more
Personal Security-Jogging & Walking Tips To Keep You Safe
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Courtesy of Lcaplin
Spring is definitely in the air and for a lot of people – this is jogging or walking weather. If you are like me, you want to make sure you are getting your exercise – your cardio – so you feel and look better for the coming summer season.
But guess what? The fact that you might think nothing of throwing on your cute little shorts – your halter top – pulling your hair back into a cute little ponytail and strapping your MP3 player to your upper arm and into your ears – means you should definitely be aware of some crazy predator out there looking for someone just like you – happy go lucky, with the CD or MP3 player going on in her ear, and nonchalantly jogging or walking. (The perfect prey).
Before you do your final stretch to hit the road, consider your personal safety along the way. You may be in a truly positive mode as you’re hitting the road – but the sad fact is – crime is rampant in certain areas – and there are predators out there just looking for someone who appears to be totally unaware of what is going on around her. Read more
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PERSONAL PROTECTION
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