Do you know if you are being targeted for a crime?
by Juan A. Garcia Jr.
Have you ever asked yourself, “At any point today was I selected as a potential victim for a criminal attack?” How many times have you, or your residence been under criminal surveillance? These are frightening questions. What would be worse is if we ever found out that we were unknowingly targeted at one time or another. Too many times the victims of street assaults and home invasions were grossly unaware of their surroundings and complacent with their own personal security. The victims were caught off-guard and when that happens the attack is almost always successful.
Proper survival mindset
What can you do to protect yourself from a street assault or home invasion? The answer is you can do a lot. Making yourself and your home a harder target is the first step, and that requires you to have the proper survival mindset. You have to accept that what you are preparing for is the one to three percent chance that you or your home could be selected as targets of opportunity. Statistics will always show that the chance of a person becoming a victim of a crime is always something outrageous like one in a million. That is why you have to mentally accept the one to three percent chance. For many people this is a hard thing to do because they feel comfortable with the extreme odds and can’t be bothered to change anything. Having the discipline to accept and embrace the survival mindset is the key and driving force behind doing the right thing. No matter how many self-defense classes you take, or how many cameras and gates you install if the mind is not properly focused you will eventually succumb to a criminal attack on the street or at home.
Evaluate your routines and posture
Once the mind is committed now you have to build the personal security strategy. First you want to take an honest look at your street habits.
1. Do you give off the perception that you are wealthy?
2. Do you frequently travel at night?
3. Do you travel into shady places to purchase drugs, if applicable?
4. Do you spend too much time looking down or talking on your cellular phone?
5. Are you by yourself a lot?
6. Are you too socially engaging?
7. Do you enjoy too many cocktails to the point of being drunk and relaxed?
8. Where do you park when you go out?
9. Do you frequently withdraw cash from ATM’s on the streets?
These are important questions to ask yourself and if the answer is mostly “yes,” “a lot” and “I park far away from venues” you are already a prime target of opportunity.
Now let’s take a look at your residential posture:
1. Do you frequently leave windows open at ground level residences?
2. Do you frequently leave doors unlocked when home, especially when you are home?
3. Do you leave keys in secret hiding spaces?
4. Do you open the door without verification when you get knocks?
5. Is your residence well-lighted at night?
6. Do you frequently look out of your windows to observe your surroundings?
7. Do you take a good look at your residential surroundings when arriving home, especially at night?
8. Are you even aware of what your normal surroundings should look like?
These are the evaluations that criminals could be making on you or a loved-one as you read this article. Once a criminal favorably answers these questions they will begin planning for the execution phase. You see, in order to be effective at preventing crime you have to think like a criminal. You have to put yourself in their shoes and visualize that you are targeting yourself. This will allow you to see things differently and internally challenge any complacency.
Preventive tips for both street and residential security
1. Always be aware of your surroundings both on the street and at home. See and feel what is normal and what is not. This is the key and if you master this you will always see the unusual way before it gets a chance to harm you.
2. Be guarded and treat everyone you come across as a potential adversary until you deem they are not. This does not mean being mean, just being alert and advertising that you are not the one that is going to be a hapless victim.
3. While at home use the tools that you have, i.e. locks, gates, lights, and alarm systems. You have to first use what you have and fortify as needed. You would be surprised how many people if they would have just locked the door, or turned on the lights would have not been victimized.
4. Know where you are going before hand and get there. Even if routes are a little longer but safer use them. Try to always have a close family member know where you are at and tell them not to advertise it. Know the locations of safe areas and police stations.
5. Carry only what you need. Why do you need ten credit cards, hundreds of dollars, and thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry just to go to the mall.
6. Verify all work vehicles around your residence especially if you see very little work being done or it is taking too long. If you are an observant person in general you should know what a bonafide work crew looks like when they are working.
7. If you utilize social media kept it private. Too many times a criminal can go on Facebook and get all the relevant information that they need, to include pictures.
8. When your sixth-sense is telling you that something is wrong, listen to it and take action, i.e. walk / drive away, lock the door, don’t stop, get to a crowded place, activate your home alarm system, call the police. Do something, take action!
9. Always continue to evaluate your personal routines and residential setting. Criminal tactics are always evolving so you have to stay ahead of the game. Take the time to read articles and watch news stories on criminal attacks. Then ask yourself if that could have happening to you. If so, change your posture.
10. Take a training class on personal security. It does not have to cost you thousands of dollars. Pick a class that focuses on survival mindset, evaluation and planning, attack recognition, and physical security concepts.
Recap
The key and first step is to be honest with yourself and accept that you could be a victim of a criminal attack. Once you develop the survival mindset, evaluate your routines and habits. Do this by targeting yourself to see if you would be a likely target of opportunity. Once your evaluation is complete apply simple preventive strategies to enhance and hardened your physical security posture, both on the street and at home. Keep learning and evolving just like criminals do. Remember security is your responsibility. Be prepared for the unexpected.
Juan A. Garcia Jr. is the owner and chief instructor of High Risk Security Services (HRSS). HRSS specializes in providing hostile environment, guard force, personal security, and firearms training services for private citizens, executives, expatriates, travelers, and organizations worldwide. Mr. Garcia is a former US Army Paratrooper and Marine Corps Infantryman with more than 29 years of operational experience in tactical, anti-terrorism, and physical security matters. He can be reached at [email protected]. Or you can visit their website at http://www.highrisksecurityservices.com/
by Juan A. Garcia Jr.
Have you ever asked yourself, “At any point today was I selected as a potential victim for a criminal attack?” How many times have you, or your residence been under criminal surveillance? These are frightening questions. What would be worse is if we ever found out that we were unknowingly targeted at one time or another. Too many times the victims of street assaults and home invasions were grossly unaware of their surroundings and complacent with their own personal security. The victims were caught off-guard and when that happens the attack is almost always successful.
Proper survival mindset
What can you do to protect yourself from a street assault or home invasion? The answer is you can do a lot. Making yourself and your home a harder target is the first step, and that requires you to have the proper survival mindset. You have to accept that what you are preparing for is the one to three percent chance that you or your home could be selected as targets of opportunity. Statistics will always show that the chance of a person becoming a victim of a crime is always something outrageous like one in a million. That is why you have to mentally accept the one to three percent chance. For many people this is a hard thing to do because they feel comfortable with the extreme odds and can’t be bothered to change anything. Having the discipline to accept and embrace the survival mindset is the key and driving force behind doing the right thing. No matter how many self-defense classes you take, or how many cameras and gates you install if the mind is not properly focused you will eventually succumb to a criminal attack on the street or at home.
Evaluate your routines and posture
Once the mind is committed now you have to build the personal security strategy. First you want to take an honest look at your street habits.
1. Do you give off the perception that you are wealthy?
2. Do you frequently travel at night?
3. Do you travel into shady places to purchase drugs, if applicable?
4. Do you spend too much time looking down or talking on your cellular phone?
5. Are you by yourself a lot?
6. Are you too socially engaging?
7. Do you enjoy too many cocktails to the point of being drunk and relaxed?
8. Where do you park when you go out?
9. Do you frequently withdraw cash from ATM’s on the streets?
These are important questions to ask yourself and if the answer is mostly “yes,” “a lot” and “I park far away from venues” you are already a prime target of opportunity.
Now let’s take a look at your residential posture:
1. Do you frequently leave windows open at ground level residences?
2. Do you frequently leave doors unlocked when home, especially when you are home?
3. Do you leave keys in secret hiding spaces?
4. Do you open the door without verification when you get knocks?
5. Is your residence well-lighted at night?
6. Do you frequently look out of your windows to observe your surroundings?
7. Do you take a good look at your residential surroundings when arriving home, especially at night?
8. Are you even aware of what your normal surroundings should look like?
These are the evaluations that criminals could be making on you or a loved-one as you read this article. Once a criminal favorably answers these questions they will begin planning for the execution phase. You see, in order to be effective at preventing crime you have to think like a criminal. You have to put yourself in their shoes and visualize that you are targeting yourself. This will allow you to see things differently and internally challenge any complacency.
Preventive tips for both street and residential security
1. Always be aware of your surroundings both on the street and at home. See and feel what is normal and what is not. This is the key and if you master this you will always see the unusual way before it gets a chance to harm you.
2. Be guarded and treat everyone you come across as a potential adversary until you deem they are not. This does not mean being mean, just being alert and advertising that you are not the one that is going to be a hapless victim.
3. While at home use the tools that you have, i.e. locks, gates, lights, and alarm systems. You have to first use what you have and fortify as needed. You would be surprised how many people if they would have just locked the door, or turned on the lights would have not been victimized.
4. Know where you are going before hand and get there. Even if routes are a little longer but safer use them. Try to always have a close family member know where you are at and tell them not to advertise it. Know the locations of safe areas and police stations.
5. Carry only what you need. Why do you need ten credit cards, hundreds of dollars, and thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry just to go to the mall.
6. Verify all work vehicles around your residence especially if you see very little work being done or it is taking too long. If you are an observant person in general you should know what a bonafide work crew looks like when they are working.
7. If you utilize social media kept it private. Too many times a criminal can go on Facebook and get all the relevant information that they need, to include pictures.
8. When your sixth-sense is telling you that something is wrong, listen to it and take action, i.e. walk / drive away, lock the door, don’t stop, get to a crowded place, activate your home alarm system, call the police. Do something, take action!
9. Always continue to evaluate your personal routines and residential setting. Criminal tactics are always evolving so you have to stay ahead of the game. Take the time to read articles and watch news stories on criminal attacks. Then ask yourself if that could have happening to you. If so, change your posture.
10. Take a training class on personal security. It does not have to cost you thousands of dollars. Pick a class that focuses on survival mindset, evaluation and planning, attack recognition, and physical security concepts.
Recap
The key and first step is to be honest with yourself and accept that you could be a victim of a criminal attack. Once you develop the survival mindset, evaluate your routines and habits. Do this by targeting yourself to see if you would be a likely target of opportunity. Once your evaluation is complete apply simple preventive strategies to enhance and hardened your physical security posture, both on the street and at home. Keep learning and evolving just like criminals do. Remember security is your responsibility. Be prepared for the unexpected.
Juan A. Garcia Jr. is the owner and chief instructor of High Risk Security Services (HRSS). HRSS specializes in providing hostile environment, guard force, personal security, and firearms training services for private citizens, executives, expatriates, travelers, and organizations worldwide. Mr. Garcia is a former US Army Paratrooper and Marine Corps Infantryman with more than 29 years of operational experience in tactical, anti-terrorism, and physical security matters. He can be reached at [email protected]. Or you can visit their website at http://www.highrisksecurityservices.com/
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