Situational Awareness When Out and About

You have to think like a criminal to avoid criminal action

One of the most important aspects of crime prevention that I strove to instill in my children was this: "Bad things happen to good people."

Here is what I told my girls over and over throughout their teenage years: "If someone knew they were going to get hit by a bus on any particular day, do you think for one moment they wouldn't have just stayed home in bed that day?"

This leads me to the crux of this post: SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

Last evening while out with my fiance, I happened to go into a McDonalds to use the restroom. I hurried as I knew she would be sitting in the parking lot alone with all the doors unlocked. When I got back, that is exactly what I found. When I mentioned the idea of locking the doors and why, she replied, "I never gave that a thought."

Always be aware of your surroundings and think like a bad guy. If you do those two things, you should stay safe when you're out and about. However, if you go through life with your head buried in the sand, you will likely end up a victim. Criminals look for people who look like victim material. Don't be one of them. --Al Colombo

About this Photograph: This photograph is of an elevator control system atop a building in Akron, Ohio.