Personal Safety Tips

Three rules

• Stay Alert - Referred to as Situational Awareness.
• Avoid Risky Situations - No need to be a Hero.
• Trust Your Instincts - If it doesn’t feel right….avoid it!

Safety at Work

• Keep your work area organized and secure.
• Lock pocketbooks in desk drawer or locker.
• When entering or exiting building look for suspicious activity.
• Always travel in groups.
• Report all suspicious vehicles and people.
• Know the location of the nearest exit.

Safety in Public / Shopping

• Go in groups.
• Walk in well-lighted areas.
• Be alert to suspicious activity.
• Never carry more items than necessary.
• Provide route to friend or family member.
• Carry pocketbooks and briefcases securely.
• Always carry identification.
• Never carry more money than you are willing to lose.
• Carry money, credit cards, and ID in pants pocket…separate from pocketbook.
• Stay alert at ATM machines.
• Carry a fully-charged cellular phone.
• Avoid uncomfortable situations.

Safety in your car

• Keep doors locked at all times.
• Park in well-lighted area / or potential for light.
• Don’t park between two full-size vans.
• Scan the area before exiting the car.
• Remember where you parked.
• Place valuables in trunk or take with you.
• Park near the front of the business.
• Scan parking lot before returning to vehicle.
• Walk with others.
• Have your keys out as you approach.
• Look for signs of forced entry.
• Scan interior of vehicle before you enter.
• Quickly enter your vehicle and lock the doors.
• Do not exit your vehicle for strangers.

Safety at Home

• Have neighbors or friends collect mail or newspapers when you are away on vacation.
• Keep bushes and shrubbery trimmed to no more than 3 feet high.
• The lowest limb on a tree should be 6 feet off the ground.
• Keep windows and doors locked at all times.
• Use dead-bolt locks.
• Install auxiliary locks on your windows if the current locks are not sufficient.
• Use solid-core exterior doors.
• Use motion-sensor lights on the exterior of your home.
• Use light-timers to give the appearance of an occupied home.
• Less than one percent of all house breakings occur when the house is occupied.
• When working in the yard, keep your house secure.
• Keep Jewelry/money in non-conspicuous location. In other words…not in the master bedroom!
• Don’t provide personal information over the phone unless you initiated the conversation.
• If you list your phone number…only use your initials, not full name.

Responding to an Attack or Robbery

• If you are being robbed…do not resist!
• Give the robbery what he or she wants.
• Remember…your goal is to avoid injury.
• Don’t carry anything of value that you are not willing to lose.
• If you are being attacked…decide NOW how you are going to respond.
• Safety in these situations is a personal choice.
• Only you can decide how to respond!
• What is the intent of the criminal?
• Your goal here is SURVIVAL.
• Determine if a weapon is involved.
• Is there one suspect or two?
• How do you normally respond to threats?
• What is your physical ability?
• Where is the suspect trying to take you?
• Do you really want to go!

After an Attack or Robbery

• Don’t feel guilty or embarrassed.
• Go to a safe place to report the crime.
• Preserve all physical evidence.
• Call the Police IMMEDIATELY.
• Seek counseling…from professional or church official.
• Remember…You can do everything right and still become the victim of a crime.

Summary

• Self-protection and survival are an attitude.
• Knowledge breeds confidence.
• Confidence is the best deterrence.
• Learn to recognize and trust your instincts.
• Don’t become a willing victim.