Crime-Safety-Security.com
Newsletter
09 September 2008

Folklore and fables – from vampire and wolfman legends to tales of The Brothers’ Grimm – tell us of ogres, fiends, and monsters. Today we call them violent criminals. They’ve always plagued us and – as long as passions, madness, and evil exist – always will. Let’s blow away a predator's biggest advantage: the naïveté of the prey.

HOME INVASION
Police tell us that a man had broken into several cars in the neighborhood and later decided to break into someone's home. The intruder had a gun, but so did the homeowner. They confronted each other and exchanged gunfire in the kitchen. The intruder was killed. ... A police spokesperson said, "Criminals usually don't specialize in one type of activity. If they think there's a crime of opportunity, they'll progress to another level." ... In the wake of Friday morning's home invasion, Priscilla Smith wonders if she too had a close call with the man police say broke into her neighbor's home. Smith says, "We had an incident where someone knocked at our door late one night and my husband was up and I kept hearing him say, 'Who is it? Who is it?" and I got up and came to the door and said, “Don't open that door.”
Excerpted from WREG-TV3 Memphis – 28 March 2008

See Home Security - Overview

SET YOUR BOUNDARIES
Never turn your back on anyone you don’t trust – that invites an attack you won’t see coming. If he begins to approach you, take an aggressive stance, put one hand in a pocket as though you have a weapon ready, raise your other hand in a “STOP!” gesture, and fiercely command him to "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" (Add foul cursing and as much menace as possible.)

Better yet, also hold pepper spray and a noisemaker visible and at the ready. Their visible presence alone may well deter an attack. (See Pepper Spray & Devices for sources.)

If he keeps moving toward you – that's your early-warning-sign that he's probably a predator – so you can either flee and/or activate your noisemaker and use your pepper spray.

"Fight or flight” are the two most well known options. Martial arts' theory usually adds surrender to the mix. I’ve added two more options: outsmart and posture, and aligned them all with FBI guidelines (and clarified the FBI’s clunky terminology):

A VICTIM’S FIVE OPTIONS:
1. Posturing: presenting yourself as a tough target (predators prefer easy prey). If that doesn’t work:
2. Fleeing, the most obvious choice, might not be possible. If not:
3. Outsmarting: by verbally defusing a confrontation and maneuvering toward escape. If that doesn’t work:
4. Surrendering and hoping for the best; or preferably as a prelude to an escape, perhaps aided by:
5. Fighting like a mad dog to enable your escape. Stun & run.

It’s impossible to fully anticipate the panicky chaos of a sudden threat forcing you to make split-second life-and-death decisions. Nonetheless, understanding your options now will help your Intuition choose an option then.

ENHANCING YOUR OPTIONS
Pepper Spray & a Noisemaker visibly ready will greatly enhance your first option – Posturing as a tough target – and probably deter a predator immediately. Your fifth option – Fighting – is enhanced as well.

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PARKING LOT ATTACKS
• Predators look for prey who are distracted by talking on a cell phone, loading bags into a car, strapping children into a car seat, and as they sit in a parked car (even locked).
• Look between cars as you walk, watch for anyone sitting in a parked car or walking toward you – often look over your shoulder – most robbers sneak up behind a target who usually never sees him/her coming.
• Some purse snatchers drive slowly through a parking lot. One will reach out from the car window to snatch a purse – or jump out a moment to snatch a purse, then jump back in and speed away.
• If you feel threatened and are near your car, head for it while pressing your car's remote panic alarm. Otherwise, head back to the store, frequently looking around and over your shoulder, and ask a security guard to escort you to your vehicle.

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• Human predators hunt for human prey like lions survey a herd of antelopes to select prey: they look for the most vulnerable – the distracted, the unwary, those too tame, and those who’ve strayed away from the herd. Someone is always watching you.
• Beware of anyone trying to get near you or using a lure to get you alone. Listen to your Intuition trying to warn you. See Mind Games for more on predator’s clever lures.
• Carry a second wallet filled with phony ID and a wad of one-dollar bills for throwing down while you escape. Hopefully, he'll grab that and leave you alone. Keep your valuables in a security pouch under your clothing. Find outdoor safety devices in Pepper Spray & Devices.
• In a robbery, avoid eye contact, move slowly, and do not fight for your money. Give it up and instantly flee. Fight – maybe – only to avoid rape, assault, or abduction. See Victim’s Options and Survival Options.
• Remember the rule of opposites: If a predator tells you not to yell, he's worried someone might hear you – so yell as loud as you can. If he wants to move you to another location, fight for your life on the spot instead. You’re far better off where you already are. See Kidnapping.
• What should you do if a predator threatens your companion with a weapon while ordering you to obey his commands? See Hostage/Slave in Hostage Taking.

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1. Forgetting that predators often hunt where the prey least expect them.
2. Falling for a lure to isolate you. See Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.
3. Letting someone get near you, especially in an isolated spot.
4. Believing a criminal. Obviously, criminals can't be trusted. Criminals often say, “Do what I say and I won’t hurt you.” But remember that anyone who uses threats of violence is likely to use violence after all.
5. Fighting for your wallet, purse, or other valuables. It’s not worth it. Those things can be replaced - but you can't be.
6. Trying to reason with a criminal. Criminals are not reasonable – they don't think like you do. It's better to outsmart him with a ploy. See Outsmarting.
7. Waiting for "the right time" to escape – it may never come. The sooner you escape, the better. You might have to surprise-attack him to enable your escape. See When to Fight.

See Outdoor Safety - Overview

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Pointing out a victim's possible missteps before she fell prey is not always a bad thing, according to Linda Fairstein, renowned author and former New York City sex crimes prosecutor. "If we can learn something from it, we can give her back some dignity," she says. "If we see what the risks are and what would prevent this from happening to someone else, then there's something that benefits the memory of that victim."
Excerpted from The New York Daily News – 24 August 2006

We’d be wise to learn from the little mistakes of victims. Usually, they didn’t know that predators are always hunting for carefree prey. As Dr. Anna Salter wrote in Predators, "Normal, healthy people distort reality to create a kinder, gentler world than really exists."

You don’t need a bulletproof vest, a bodyguard, or to sleep with one eye open – just a new attitude toward being S.A.F.E.:

Skeptical of anyone trying to get near you or trying to isolate you,
Aware of danger zones and escape strategies,
Flexible: being tricky, changing strategies as needed – and if worse comes to worst:
Exploding like a mad dog to fight for your life. Stun & run. See Fighting Options.

Whenever you’re tempted to be careless, ask yourself, "What could possibly happen?" The stories throughout this newsletter and web site show what could possibly happen – and how to avoid being easy prey.

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