Personal Safety Tips

Want to Make Life Harder for Criminals?

The following tips can help you avoid becoming a victim of a crime when you are out and about or working at your job. This information has been prepared for your protection so you will not take unnecessary risks. By taking a few simple precautions, you can reduce the risk to yourself, and also discourage those who commit crimes.

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 alleyways and dark parking lots.

On the Street

• Be alert to your surroundings and the people around you, especially if you are alone or it is dark.
• Whenever possible, travel with a friend.
• Stay in well-lit areas as much as possible.
• Walk close to the curb. Avoid doorways, bushes and alleys where someone could hide.
• Walk confidently and at a steady pace.
• Make eye contact with people when walking.
• Do not respond to conversation from strangers on the street, continue walking.
• If you carry a purse, carry it securely between your arm and your body. Although a purse snatcher's intent is to steal the purse, your personal safety may depend on not clinging to it.

In the Car

• Always lock car doors after entering or leaving your car.
• Park in well-lit areas.
• 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.
• If you think you are being followed, drive to a public place or a police or sheriff's 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 your locked car 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 the Bus

• Try to 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.
• Don't invite trouble. 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, ride as near to the bus operator 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.

At Work

• Never leave your purse or billfold in plain view or in the pocket of a jacket hanging on a door.
• Personal property should be marked with your California Driver's License number.
• 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 out with you.
• If you are in an elevator with another person, stand near the control panel. if attacked, press the alarm and as many of the control buttons as possible.
• Be alert for pickpockets on crowded elevators.
• Report all suspicious persons and activities to the proper authorities (office manager, building security, law enforcement).
• Be aware of escape routes for emergencies and post the police and fire department numbers near telephones.

AND FINALLY, if a crime does occur,

REPORT IT!

Everyone should consider it his or her responsibility to report crime. Many criminals develop favorite areas for working, as well as predictable methods of operation. When you report all the facts about a crime, it helps the police assign officers in the places where crimes 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.

For more information click here to download our Personal Security brochure.