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Crime Safety Tips: Smart Advice For Savvy Citizens

Master the magic of these crime safety tips to slash your day to day risks. Beat the bad guys at their own game with easy advice anyone can follow.

Over time many of us learn specific tips or strategies that we use to keep safe from crime. These small actions quickly become habits that make a noticeable impact on our day to day security.

Once learned, they don't require much thought at all!

Below, I have put together a few suggestions that you can start using straight away to make yourself safer.

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Tips For When You're In And Around Your Car

Most of us spend so much time in and around our cars. We are not only at risk from other drivers crashing into us but from criminals who prey on our lack of awareness.

The following crime safety tips will help you reduce the risks you face while near your vehicle.

Traffic safety

While driving, stop just far enough away from the car in front of you at a traffic light to leave enough room to quickly escape (to the left or right) if somebody tries to hijack (carjack) you.

An easy way to be sure you are at the right distance: make sure you can see the car in front's rear tires touching the road surface.

Arriving Home 1

When you approach your gate, if possible, stop in the road while you wait for your gate to open with your car still in gear and your indicator on. Just keep your foot on the brake pedal.

Only turn into your driveway once the gate is open and you can cruise right in. This way, if someone tries to hijack you, or box you in with their car, you can just speed away.

Arriving Home 2

A second crime safety tip for when you are about to reach your home: Switch your car radio off when you are still about 1km away. Pay attention to what's going on in your neighbourhood.

Is anyone following you?
Are there any suspicious or unfamiliar cars near your gate?

This is one of the most dangerous times of your day. Are you being aware?

Arriving Home 3

If an unfamiliar car is parked near your property or there is a car behind you as you return home, do a loop around your block. Report any suspicious behavior to the police, neighborhood watch and your armed response company. 

Arriving Home 4

Try to avoid turning into your driveway until the gate is fully open, and then ensure it closes behind the car, without anyone sneaking through behind you.

Parking position

When parking, always try to reverse into your parking spot. This way, you can drive off in a hurry if you find yourself in danger when you get back to your car.

Parking Lots

When returning to your car in a parking lot of a shopping center, approach from a different angle.

Try not to walk straight towards it as you normally do. Instead, go past it and then circle back. Keep a watchful eye on the areas between the parked cars while you do so.

By doing this, you may notice a criminal hiding near your car waiting to surprise you.

Arriving Home At Night

When approaching your home's gate at night, switch your car lights on to the bright setting. Look around carefully. The brighter light may allow you to spot hijackers waiting in the dark shadows near your gate ready to ambush you.

Traffic Light Dangers

While stopped at the traffic lights, a good crime safety tip is to watch the street people who beg for money very carefully. Don't look away and ignore them. By avoiding their gaze, you look fearful.

More importantly, if you aren't watching them, you won't see when one of them pulls out handgun to hijack you! Hijackings occur like this at traffic lights every day of the week.

Miscellaneous Crime Safety Tips

Cellphone Calls

When you get a phone call on your cellphone while out in public, don't just answer it and keep walking. Stop and stand with your back to a wall or other barrier. Scan the area in front of you while you talk.

Most people's awareness drops to zero when they are on their phones. By using this tip, a mugger, purse snatcher or criminal won't be able to sneak up on you as easily.

Walking Your Dog

Walking your dog? Don't forget to take a strong walking stick or cane with you. Not only might it help you fight off an attack by an vicious dog, but you may need it to fight off a mugger.

A side benefit is that you look like a MUCH less attractive victim when you are carrying a big stick!

Beggars On The Street

Ladies, when a street person comes towards you begging for money, don't look away or down and pretend to ignore him. Doing this makes you look afraid. If he is planning to rob someone, you have just become the perfect target.

You will never see the punch or strike coming! Look him in the eyes and firmly say "NO!". Even put your hand out in a "STOP" gesture. If you are truly assertive, they will get the message and move on.

Pepper Spray

If you carry pepper spray, take it out and keep it in your hand as you walk across the parking lot to you car. If you are approached by a suspicious person, it will be MUCH quicker to use if it's already in your hand.

Home Invasion

Having a party or social gathering at your home?

Make sure you don't leave the front door open while you are socializing on the opposite side of the house. Many home invasion robberies happen when a group of criminals enter through the open door and surprise the homeowners and their guests on the patio or in the living room.

Improve Your Home Security - Pretend To Be A Criminal

To improve your home security, pretend that you are a criminal. Stand outside your home's perimeter fence or wall.

How would you get into the property and then into the house?

This crime safety tip often reveals some really obvious vulnerable spots to your home's security. For example: a strong wooden door...with a small unburglar-guarded window next to it. An easy point of entry!

Earphones While Jogging

Many people enjoy jogging while listening to music through their earphones. Although it’s common, it’s a very dangerous habit! When you have music blasting in both ears, you have effectively switched off one of your senses.

Your awareness of your surroundings has dropped to a very low level. It becomes very easy for a criminal to sneak up behind you and attack you. Once you have been punched or stabbed, all the mugger has to do is choose which of your valuables he wants to take.

Don’t throw away one of your best early warning systems for crime – your hearing!

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