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Personal Safety

MAKE LIFE HARDER FOR CRIMINALS

These tips can help you avoid becoming a victim of a crime when you are out and about or at work. By taking a few simple precautions, you can reduce the risk to yourself, and also discourage those who commit crime.

Be prepared

• Always be alert and aware of the people around you.
• Educate yourself concerning prevention tactics.
• Be aware of locations and situations which would make you vulnerable to crime, such as alleys and dark parking lots.

Street precautions

• Keep an eye on your surroundings and the people around you, especially if you are alone or it is dark. If you see anyone acting suspiciously, avoid them by crossing the street, entering an open store, or changing your route. Call the police if you believe you are being stalked.
• Don’t walk alone, especially at night or in areas that are not well lit. Whenever possible, travel with a friend. Stay in well-lit, populated areas as much as possible. Make sure a friend or family member knows where you are going when you go out.
• Don’t get caught up in your routine. Even on trips you make often, stay alert and keep an eye out for people or vehicles that seem strange.
• Remove distractions. Talking on the phone, listening to music, or looking up directions may prevent you from being able to stay aware of your surroundings. If you need to access your phone, wait until you’re somewhere safe and well lit.
• Avoid potential hiding spots, like bushes, alleys, and doorways. Walk close to the curb. Do not use alleys or shortcuts or cross vacant fields.
• Walk confidently with your head up, looking from side to side, and at a steady pace. Make eye contact with people when walking.
• Do not respond to conversation from strangers on the street; continue walking. Do not accept any hugs or gifts from a person you don’t know. 
• Protect your belongings. If you carry a purse, hold it securely between your arm and your body, and not around your neck. Consider carrying a dummy wallet and/or purse. Limit the number of personal valuables you carry.
• Consider your escape route. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes that you could run away in, if necessary.
• Wear reflective clothing so that drivers can see you as you cross the street.

Car Safety

• Lock your doors immediately after entering or leaving your car.
• Park in safe areas, making sure there is adequate lighting and that your car is in public view. When you park, look around for suspicious persons or vehicles near your car.
• Don’t carry too many things in your arms going to and from the vehicle.
• Have your car keys in your hand so you don’t have to linger before entering your car.
• Check the back seat before entering your car.
• Don’t linger in your car (reading, eating, napping, etc.).
• Keep the windows rolled up more than half way.
• Don’t leave any valuables inside the vehicle, including cell phones and GPS devices.
• If you think you are being followed, drive to a public place or a police, sheriff or fire station.
• If your car breaks down, open the hood and attach a white cloth to the car antenna. If someone stops to help, stay in the locked car, roll down the window a little and ask them to call the police or sheriff or a tow trucking service.
• Don’t stop to aid motorists stopped on the side of the road. Go to a phone and request help for them.

Waiting for a bus

• Avoid isolated bus stops.
• Stand away from the curb until the bus arrives.
• Don’t open your purse or wallet while boarding the bus. Have your pass or money already in your hand.
• Keep gold chains out of sight; don’t flash your jewelry; and turn your rings around so the stones don’t show.

On the bus

• During off hours, sit as close to the bus driver as possible.
• Stay alert and be aware of the people around you.
• If someone bothers you, change seats, and/or tell the driver.
• Carry your wallet inside your coat, or in a front pocket. A comb, placed horizontally in the fold of your wallet, will alert you if someone tries to remove it from your pocket.
• Keep your handbag in front of you and hold it close to your body with both hands.
• Check your purse or wallet if someone is jostling, crowding or pushing you.
• If you see any suspicious activity, tell the driver.

Office security

• Never leave your purse or billfold in plain view or in the pocket of a jacket hanging on a door. Lock your purse or wallet in your desk. 
• Mark personal property with your Last Name and First Initial of your First Name (preceded with the letters “CA”).
• Don’t leave cash or valuables at the office.
• If you work alone or before/after normal business hours, keep the office door locked.
• If you work late, try to find another worker or a security guard to walk you to your car.
• If you must work late by yourself, let someone know and call them when you leave.
• If you are in the elevator with another person, stand near the control panel. If you are attacked, press the alarm and as many of the control buttons as possible.
• Be alert for pickpockets on crowded elevators.
• Be aware of persons loitering near the business or parking lot.
• Do not allow visitors, clients, or strangers to move about un-escorted.

If a crime occurs - Report it!

Everyone should consider it his/her responsibility to report crime. Many criminals target favorite areas and have predictable methods of operation. When you report all the facts about a crime, it helps the police assign officers in the places where crime are occurring or where they are most likely to occur. At least one out of two crimes in the United States goes unreported, either because people don’t think the police can do anything about it, or because people don’t want to get involved. If you don’t report crime, this allows the criminal to continue to operate without interference.

In many cases, it is the information provided by victims and witnesses that leads to the arrest of a criminal. So tell the police as much as you can; no fact is too trivial. The police need the eyes and ears of all citizens.

• Report all suspicious people and activities to the proper authorities: office manager, building security, law enforcement.
• Be aware of escape routes for emergencies, and post the phone numbers of the police and fire departments near telephones. Call 911 if the situation is life-threatening.