STREET CRIME:
Safety Tips for Women
FAQ

Most people think street crime is a game of chance, but you can stack the odds in your favor.

Victims are often hurt by the "startle factor." "They're minding their own business and suddenly chaos erupts," police said. "They freeze." Those who reacted well remained "calm, collected and logical."

Police recommend that people pay close attention to crime stories they read or see on the news. "Then they can think themselves through various scenarios in their own mind. If something similar happened, what would you do? What have other people done to get out?" That way, if a similar situation does come up, you'll have ideas and can weigh your options on the spot, but always understand that each case is different. Some people are feistier than others, and may have gotten away with something that could have gone either way.

It's much more dangerous to be abducted," a police spokesman said. "If you're in a parking lot - that's still a place of public awareness and there are still people around if you run. But once you're taken away from that, all bets are off. I'd resist an abduction attempt with all my power. Whether to fight back or comply depends on the situation and is up to the victim. "It's almost wrong for police to say resist or comply either way, because every street crime situation is different," he said. "Each person must decide on their own."

Excerpted from The Capital (Annapolis MD) – 17 January 2007

See Survival Options - Kidnapping. It's better to know this and not need it, than to need it and not know it.

It Can Happen Here

It can happen here — even on one of the quietest blocks in Brooklyn. A violent sexual predator who attacked a woman is still at large, and now his victim is trying to spread the word that danger lurks on even the most neighborly streets.

The woman’s 3 am stroll with her dog went sour when a creep followed her to her stoop, punched her and slammed her head against the pavement, and tried to rape her.

“You think that this doesn’t happen here, but it did,” she said. The victim said she’s just lucky that the attack didn’t escalate further; if it weren’t for a few heroic neighbors who responded to her screams, she said she might not be alive.

She told police that she was almost to her front door when she heard the gate behind her squeak open. “When I saw him at the gate, I thought s—, here we go,” she said. “I walked away from my door because I didn’t want him to force me inside. I know it can get a lot worse if they get you inside.”

The deranged man punched her in the face and threw her to the ground. She said that he put his hands up her dress and tried to pull down her underwear, but she resisted by scratching his arms and screaming as loud as she could.

Luckily, neighbors came running and scared the man off after leaving his victim with a concussion and “plenty of scratches.”

Excerpted from Courier-Life – YourNabe.com – Brooklyn NY – 14 June 2010

Thank this woman for teaching you two lessons about street crime:

First, you can be attacked where you least expect it. Second, she was absolutely right: don’t let him force you inside your home – a Mug-In – or force you to go to any other secluded place where nobody will be able to help you.

They Walk Among Us

For every cop you see, you’ve also likely seen paroled muggers, burglars, carjackers, killers, kidnappers, stalkers, rapists, and molesters – along with all the up-and-coming young monsters – but you didn’t know it.

The bad guys far outnumber the good guys, and if you or a loved one tempts a predator just once, your life may shatter forever. Hordes of heartless predators are always out there – somewhere – often where least expected, and the few good guys can’t possibly begin to always protect all of us. After all, when seconds count, cops are minutes away! Always remember that the average 911 police response time is NINE minutes.

STREET CRIME OPTIONS

1. Posturing: presenting yourself as a tough target. If that doesn’t work:
2. Fleeing, the most obvious choice, might not be possible. If not:
3. Outsmarting: by talking your way out and maneuvering toward escape. If that doesn’t work:
4. Surrendering and hoping for a predator's mercy to let you live; or preferably as a trick leading to a sudden escape, perhaps aided by:
5. Fighting like a mad dog for your escape. Stun & run.

The panicky chaos of a sudden threat forces you to choose an option in a split-second. Still, understanding your street crime options now will help your Intuition choose an option then.

Deter a predator by carrying a Personal Security Alarm (a.k.a. screamer or noisemaker) & Pepper Spray in plain sight.

You alone are responsible for your safety. Predators target easy prey. Make yourself a hard target.

See more safety tips for women at Purse Snatching FAQ.

Related Pages:
Posturing | Fleeing | Outsmarting | Surrendering | Fighting | Running Safety | Purse Snatching | Best Pepper Spray | Personal Security Alarm

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