|
Personal Security
- Never indicate you are home alone.
- Do not open your door for just anyone. Install a viewer. Confirm credentials.
- If there is an emergency and someone wants to use the phone, ask him/her to wait outside while you phone.
- Do not rely on night chains. They can usually be broken with little effort.
- Upon arriving home, if you think there is someone inside ... GET OUT ... THEN CALL THE POLICE.
- When talking to unknown persons on the phone, do not give personal information.
- When using answering machines say "I'm not available at this time", not "There's no one in at the moment".
- In the event of prowlers or "peeping toms", call the police immediately. If you wish you can turn on your outside lights. This often scares prowlers away.
- Do not dress in a manner that may attract criminals to you.
- Do not carry more money or valuables than are necessary. Use Lynx, credit cards and then cash.
- Avoid using ATM machines at night. When using the ATM, note the proximity of anyone who may be standing behind you.
- Be aware of credit card fraud and identification theft. Your financial institution can assist you by giving you more information.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Take note of any suspicious persons, heavily tinted vehicles and dark areas. If you are suspicious of your environment, leave the area immediately.
- Avoid strangers who approach you and offer unsolicited ‘deals’.
- If you must walk, walk on the side of the street, facing oncoming traffic.
- Walk away from the curb and carry your purse or briefcase on the side farthest from the curb. While walking, stay close to buildings and avoid shortcuts that involve dark areas.
- If you are being followed on foot, cross the street and go to the nearest well-lit area, a residence or an open business.
- If walking, be cautious of strange cars parked close to your home. We tend to be less vigilant as we approach home. Note license plate numbers of any unusual cars parked in your neighbourhood, especially if they have heavily tinted windows or individuals sitting inside. If you feel you are at risk, vary your daily routines.
- Carry your cellular phone in your hand with key numbers already punched in.
- Avoid walking near parked cars, vans or shrubbery that may conceal criminals who could ambush you.
- If you are physically challenged, be realistic about your limitations and make special allowances to avoid placing yourself at risk.
- If an armed criminal confronts you, do not attempt to defend yourself unless you are trained to do so. Surrender your property and avoid being injured or at worst, murdered.
Kidnapping Prevention
Unfortunately, kidnapping is now a major crime problem. This section discusses some of the measures we can take to prevent kidnapping from occurring.
Why are you a target?
- You are perceived to be an important person with access to money.
- You are valuable to someone who will pay the ransom.
How do you protect yourself from being kidnapped?
- Examine your weaknesses and the weaknesses of other members of your family.
- Check out your immediate environment.
- Review your lifestyle. Chances are the kidnappers may also be reviewing your lifestyle.
- Review and revise your personal security to include surveillance.
- Keep a low profile and do not flaunt wealth.
- Do not frequent unsafe places.
- Be familiar with your surroundings. The routes and alternate routes that you travel regularly should be well known.
- Constantly consider emergency responses in anticipation of a kidnap threat.
Note the security precautions that are offered in other sections of this booklet, paying attention to the following:
- Your family must never allow strangers into your yard, house or apartment.
- Never give your real name or address to strangers.
- Learn the police contact numbers. Store them in your cellular telephone.
- If you are threatened, respond loudly. If an armed criminal confronts you, think carefully of your response with the aim of avoiding unnecessary harm.
- Avoid travelling alone late at night.
- Work with your neighbours on a kidnapping response programme.
- Take note of strange vehicles parked in your neighbourhood.
- If you are followed, take evasive action, ending up at a police station. Try to note details of the pursuing car.
- Do not stop if you are hit from behind. Treat it the same as you would a carjacking. Proceed to the nearest police station without getting out of your car.
- Be alert and be convinced that you are a potential kidnap victim. Discuss the threat with all members of your family and alert your neighbours.
Protection Against Sexual Assault
Sexual assault can happen to anyone, anywhere at any time. Although sexual conduct is a component of this crime, suspects mainly want to hurt, humiliate and degrade another human being. Regardless of the sexual nature of the crime, it is a crime of violence. The following tips may help to prevent against becoming the victim of sexual assault:
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Stay in well-lit areas as much as possible.
- Walk confidently, at a steady pace. Rapists look for someone who appears vulnerable.
- Walk on the side of the street facing oncoming traffic.
- Walk close to the curb. Avoid doorways, bushes and alleys where rapists can hide.
- If you feel that you are being followed, walk quickly to areas where there are people and lights. If a car is following you, turn around and walk in the opposite direction or walk on the other side of the street.
- Be careful if a stranger asks you for directions. Reply from a distance and never get too close or enter his car.
- If you are in trouble, attract help in any way possible, scream, yell, call for help or run away to safety.
- Always lock your car to prevent a would-be rapist from entering and waiting for you to return.
- Be aware of cars or vans parked close to your vehicle. Request assistance from attendants if you find yourself alone in a parking lot.
- If your car breaks down and you do not have a cellular phone, lock yourself in the car and wait until assistance comes.
- If you do not know the person offering assistance, ask him to call the police. Do not leave your vehicle.
- If you find yourself alone in a taxi or maxi taxi ask to be let out immediately, preferably in a well-lit area or an open business.
- Do not allow strangers into your house.
- Ensure that your house is always well secured, especially when going to bed at night. Lock your bedroom doors and have your cellular phone ready at all times. Your home lines can be cut.
- Do not enter your house if you are suspicious that someone may be inside. Contact a neighbour or the police.
- Take note of strangers in your neighbourhood who may be stalking for opportunity. Call the police if in doubt.
- Do not allow persons who may be posing as yardmen or gardeners to enter your yard.
- If you elect to own a weapon for self-protection, be sure that you have trained yourself in using it. If you do not have the ability, the willingness and the opportunity to use it, it may be taken from you and used against you.
- Children are vulnerable to sexual assault. Discuss this subject with your children and teach them self-protection measures against this crime.
Child Security
Teach your children basic safety rules and how to follow instructions well. If you have a housekeeper, ensure that he/she knows the rules also. Teaching your child/children the following basic rules can help keep them safe and secure:
- If in danger, your child should yell “help” and run to the nearest home, store or back to school.
- Instruct your child never to give personal information about him/herself or his/her parents to strangers.
- Teach your child to follow a defined route when walking home from school and not take shortcuts.
- Insist that they walk with other children when going to and from school.
- Teach your child how to use the telephone and have a printed list of emergency and other contact numbers easily accessible.
- If home alone after arriving from school, your child should check in with you or a neighbour.
- Your child should never accept gifts or rides from people that he/she does not know well.
- Your child should never let anyone into your home without first asking your permission.
- Your child should never let a telephone caller know that he/she is home alone. Teach your child to say, “Mum is not available to answer the phone right now.”
- Your child should carry a house key with them rather than leaving keys under a mat or a ‘safe’ place outside the house since thieves often know where to search.
- Teach your child how to escape from the house in the event of a fire or an intruder.
- Teach your child never to enter the house/apartment if a door is ajar, a screen is ripped or a window is out of place.
- Teach your child the rules of conduct when they are on the Internet, such as not giving names or addresses. Monitor their Internet contacts.
- Give your child’s school a list of authorised persons who can collect your child. If in doubt, the school must call you first.
Security for Senior Citizens
The elderly are especially vulnerable to crime. They often do not have the physical strength, and in later years, the alertness, of younger persons. This section offers some suggestions that may help in reducing crime against senior citizens.
- If you go for a walk, always walk with a companion.
- Carry your cellular phone with pre-set numbers of family, friends and emergency units with you whenever you walk.
- Exercise caution when using an ATM machine.
- Do not carry large sums of cash. Carry only enough for the task at hand. If you will be using cheques, carry one cheque, not the entire chequebook.
- Do not carry a shoulder bag. Instead, carry a small clutch handbag beneath your arm.
- Do not leave your purse in shopping carts or counters where they can be easily snatched.
- Be aware that most purse snatching occurs in parking lots, grocery stores, bus stops and crowded shopping areas.
- Exercise caution when entering or exiting your car. Look around for suspicious persons.
- Always keep your car doors locked when driving.
- Avoid persons who offer you a great ‘deal’. Back off and do not engage them.
- Swindlers target the elderly. Most swindles involve ways to make more money than the elderly enjoy on conventional savings. Report any approach to family members, your friends or to the authorities.
- Be especially careful with the well-dressed, confident, door-to-door salesmen. Do not allow anyone into the house who is not a friend or a member of the family.
- Arrange for a member of your family or friend to contact you every day.
Use of Weapons
Much can be said for the use of weapons in the war against crime. Defensive weapons can include anything from clubs, knives and chemical spray to trained dogs and guns. This section discusses the use of weapons, particularly handguns, in the home.
Fact: Today, most murders in our country involve the use of handguns. Many other acts of violence also involve the use of a handgun. Many teenagers now have access to guns and other weapons as a form of self protection. However, the use of weapons can make violence more deadly and less personal. In fact, a gun in the home increases the likelihood of homicide three times and the likelihood of suicide five times.
A gun in the home will be many more times likely to injure or kill a family member than to stop a crime. As such, you may wish to consider other means of protecting yourself and your community against crime.
However, if you do have a licensed firearm in your possession, consider the following:
- Ensure that it is always safely stored.
- Store the keys to your storage place away from children.
- Check your storage site constantly to make sure that the weapons are still there.
- Obtain proper training in the use of your handgun.
- Teach your children the following rule if they find a weapon at home or elsewhere: Stop. Don’t touch. Get away. Then tell a trusted adult.
- Comply with the laws of our country as to the correct handling and usage of handguns.
- If you are confronted by a criminal, think carefully about using the weapons at your disposal. Factors such as danger to others and whether or not the situation justifies use of your weapon should be considered. In many instances the criminal will respond differently because you have a weapon.
- Carefully weigh the benefits and disadvantages of having a weapon at home.
Illegal Drugs and Community Protection
Illegal drugs have become a major contributor to crime and are recognised as one of the major reasons for home burglary. A combination of home, personal and community protection can significantly prevent persons from breaking into homes to obtain goods which they can then sell to buy illegal drugs. Measures can also be taken to thwart the sale of illegal drugs within communities. The following are some of the measures that a community can take to fight against drug crime.
- Discuss the matter with all members of the family.
- Discuss the matter at neighbourhood meetings.
- Observe and report suspicious persons in the neighbourhood, especially those who appear to be conducting business from a parked car.
- Request that primary and secondary schools in your community discuss the matter with young people.
- Observe and report suspicious persons around schools and playgrounds.
- Any information or suspicions on drug trafficking should be reported to the police immediately.
- Look for indications that your children might already have been introduced to certain drugs. If confirmed, discuss the matter with them and refer them for counselling.
Introduce a programme of zero tolerance against illicit drugs in your community in collaboration with your neighbours and authorities.
Road Crime
Road crime has become a significant threat to our safety and well being. The consequences of road crime can be devastating, ranging from excessive property damage to serious injury and even death. Some elements of road crime include:
- Driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or illegal drugs.
- Driving on the shoulder of the road.
Some of the measures that communities can take against road crime include:
- Reporting the absence of road regulation signs to the authorities.
- Reporting offenders to the police.
- Requesting police patrols in areas where road crimes are committed.
- Discussing the matter with residents in your community who might be guilty or whose dependants might be guilty of such crimes.
- Encouraging primary and secondary schools to play a role in educating young people of the dangers of road crime.
Vehicle Security
Millions of dollars worth of car parts are lost annually due to larceny of motor vehicles. Many stolen vehicles are also used to commit other crimes before being disassembled and sold. Statistics indicate that the highest concentration of thefts occur along the East/West Corridor and Port-of-Spain. Statistics further indicate that while most auto thefts occur at night, round-the-clock vigilance is needed during the day as well.
BASIC PRECAUTIONS:
1 Ensure all doors, windows, trunks and sunroofs are closed and locked, no
matter how briefly left unattended, even when paying for petrol.
2 Make sure the ignition key is removed if you are not in the vehicle.
Never leave your car with the engine running.
3 Never hide a spare key in your car.
4 Ensure that your windows are rolled up completely.
5 If you have a garage, use it. Remember to lock your garage door or gate.
6 Back your car into the driveway. If a thief has to open your hood to
hotwire your car, your neighbours would more likely be able to see him.
7 Remember to set your immobiliser if the process is not automatic.
8 If you have other security devices installed such as a steering lock,
always use them. The more resistance/obstruction there is for the potential thief, the better. Ensure that your anti-theft device was purchased and installed by a reputable dealer.
9 If you are travelling and need to leave your car at home, disable it by
removing the distributor cap, coil or battery.
10 Do not leave valuables and other personal possessions on display. What
may seem worthless to you may be worth something to a thief. They may be
enticed by what they see. Store such items in the trunk of your car.
11 Do not leave money, bankbooks, debit or credit cards in your vehicle.
12 Driving documents/vehicle registration documents and personal
correspondence should always be retained separately from your vehicle.
They could help provide a feasible story to a thief if stopped by the
police, or even identify the address where you live.
13 Always remove radio/CD cassette players if possible. Whether removable or not, all equipment should be marked. It is also advisable to make a note
of the serial number should you need to refer to it at a later date.
14 Place stickers on your car with messages such as ‘Anti-Theft Devices
Installed’ or ‘Car Electronically Protected Against Theft’. However, note that while the amateur may be stopped, the professional thief will only be slowed down. Nevertheless, the more time it takes to rob your car, the greater risk of attention to the thief.
Preventing Carjacking
Thieves may also target your vehicle while you are on the road or about to get into your vehicle. There are several precautions you can take to minimise the risk of carjacking:
1 When approaching your car, have your car keys readily available in your hand.
2 Check around all sides of your vehicle before approaching the door. Also check inside your car before unlocking it to ensure that no one is hiding inside it.
3 If your car will not start, do not accept offers of assistance from strangers.
4 If someone needs assistance, use your cellular phone or drive to a phone booth and send for assistance. Do not get out of your car.
5 Plan your route ahead of time to avoid areas of risk.
6 Keep doors and windows locked and be especially alert at stop signs and traffic lights.
7 Keep valuables out of sight while driving. Consider keeping all doors locked and windows closed. Thieves have been known to remove handbags and other valuables by opening car doors or even breaking windows while cars are stationary in traffic.
8 If your car is hit from behind, do not stop but drive to the nearest police station or open business as it could be an attempted carjacking or worse, a kidnapping attempt.
9 Avoid driving alone at night if possible.
10 If you feel that you are being followed, commence a series of left turns as this requires a break in traffic. If you feel at risk, drive in the centre lane where possible, which will make it harder for you to be trapped. If you still feel that you are being followed, drive to the nearest police station, an open business or a neighbour’s home.
11 Approach your gate with caution. Look for strange cars or individuals in the area.
12 If you are selling your car, do not allow the prospective buyer to test drive your car alone.
13 Know the locations of police stations in your area.
PARKING YOUR VEHICLE
1 If you park your vehicle in a garage, remember to lock both the vehicle and the garage.
2 When parking in a public place, always leave your vehicle in a well-lit, well-spaced location, preferably visible to passers-by. If you are planning to leave your vehicle in a car park, try to choose one that is security controlled and managed by patrols.
3 When visiting, park as close to your destination as possible.
4 Avoid parking lots where you are required to leave your key. It is not uncommon that attendants in these lots work together with theft rings.Keys can be easily duplicated.
5 Keep your house keys separate from your car keys and do not leave them in your car or with a service attendant.
6 Park with your wheels turned towards the curb.
KNOW YOUR LICENSE PLATE
This is a very popular item among thieves. Plates should be checked on a daily basis. A license plate can be easily lifted from a parked car and transferred to a stolen car to commit other crimes such as robbery or kidnapping. The thief would normally replace your plate with one from another car. Knowing that most drivers never check their plate helps the thief from being caught frequently. Drivers who do check prevent the possibility of them being arrested for using false plates in addition to the embarrassment and inconvenience of their plates being associated with a crime elsewhere.
PURCHASING VEHICULAR SECURITY DEVICES
The following items should be considered when purchasing essential security for your vehicle.
1 An alarm that will alert you that your vehicle is being tampered with.
2 An immobiliser to prevent your vehicle from being started.
3 Central locking is a useful addition to any vehicle. It will ensure all doors are locked electronically by only one operation.
4 Deadlocks/double locking prevents the doors from being opened from the outside or inside of the vehicle unless the correct door-key/electronic key is used.
5 Arrange to have the vehicle registration number etched on to all glass surfaces including side windows and headlamps. It may be worth etching your sunroof too.
6 Tracking devices that monitor the vehicle’s movement after theft.
Identifying Your Property
Property that has been marked is solid evidence of goods/items which have been stolen. The property decreases in value to the criminal due to the risks it creates.
If the criminal knows your property is marked, he will look for easier, more profitable merchandise.
Engrave your identification numbers in a prominent place on each of your valuables. The number should be engraved on a part of the object which cannot be removed. If you are marking an item which was previously owned and marked by someone else, simply draw a line through the old number and engrave your number underneath or beside it. By placing some sort of identification mark on your property, you ensure that you will be able to identify your items to the police should the need arise.
Keep a record of serial numbers on electronic equipment.
Police recover many valuable items they are unable to return due to lack of identification. It's worth the effort to put identifying marks on your most treasured items.
Let it be known that your items have secret identification marks. That alone may discourage thieves.
It is also useful to have a photographic catalogue of all your valuable items. This, as well as a complete inventory, should be kept in a safe place out of the house e.g. in a bank, etc.
Keep your vehicle identification numbers handy, but do not keep the original ownership papers in your car. Place identification numbers on different parts of the car. This includes etching numbers on the windows and on certain parts of the frame. Consider dropping your business cards into the doorframes.
|
