AVOIDING
VIOLENT CRIMES
Some basic
common sense for avoiding a few of the more
common violent crimes.
Sexual
Assault
1. Use
initials instead of first names on mail
boxes and phone listings.
2. Avoid
remaining alone in an apartment laundry room
or parking garage.
3. Never
admit on the telephone or at the door that
you are alone.
4. It is
risky to accept a ride home from someone you
have just met.
5. If you
decide to physically resist assault,
remember that your goal is to incapacitate
the attacker long enough to run to safety
and get help.
6. If you
have been a victim of sexual assault, call
police immediately. Do not bathe or change
clothes or you may destroy evidence.
Robbery
1. Avoid
carrying valuable items or large amounts of
money.
2. Always
think ahead. For example, when traveling at
night, have your keys ready to enter the
house or to start the car. Have your pepper
spray or stun gun close at hand and be ready
to use it.
3. If you are
confronted by a robber, the best advice is
to just give them your money. Your life is
worth more than a few dollars
Bank Machines
1. When using
an automatic bank teller, always be watchful
of any suspicious people around you.
2. The
chances of being robbed at night are much
greater, especially if you are alone.
3. If you
find someone waiting and watching outside in
the area of an ATM machine, do not use it.
Leave the area and report the incident to
the police immediately. You could save
someone else from being a victim of crime.
Street Safety- Use Common Sense
1. Stay in
well lighted, busy areas. Avoid walking
alone and avoid known trouble spots.
2. When you
carry a purse, hold it close to your body
rather than by the handles. Do not wrap
purse straps around your wrist, because you
can get hurt in a struggle.
3. Carry only
what you need in a purse or wallet, not
everything you have.
4. Avoid
using shortcuts through dark alleys, fields,
or vacant lots.
5. If you
think you're being followed, cross the
street and change directions a few times. Go
quickly to a well-lighted place with lots of
people. Do not go home. You don't want an
attacker to know where you live.
6. Don't
follow the same routine every day. When
going home, to work, to the store, or
anywhere else; Don't take the same route all
the time. Vary your routine so that anyone
who might be watching you won't be able to
plan the best time for an attack.
