Crime Prevention Tips for Every Filipino Part 2

Image from oldruralcrimewatch.ca

In Part 1 of this article, you learned that crime prevention activities should begin at home and then expand responsibilities in your neighborhood.  (Readthe article here.) 

In this Part 2 continuation, you will learn more crime prevention tips that will not only save your life but other peoples’ lives as well. There are many things that you need to cover in order to deter or prevent crime from happening. The question is, what happens when you step out of your home and your neighborhood?

Are A Potential Crime Victim?

One of the most overlooked aspects when it comes to crime prevention is that individuals themselves are unaware that they are potential crime victims.  

So, how do you avoid being one?

Image from hollistonpolice.com

• Keep everything in proper order and perspective.  It simply means be conscious of the things that revolve in you, around you, and within you.  Many people became crime victims because they were not able to correct some things in their life that went awry. For example, there are people who are not worried when they failed to receive their monthly bank statements or other statement of accounts.  If you are a rational thinker, you will know that this is already wrong and you would have confronted banks and credit companies why it happened. As sending your bank statements to other people would reveal your financial worth and may lure people to sell your bank statements to others and will lead to identity theft or an attempt to rob you at home.

• Anticipate not participate.  Always bear in mind that crime is an equal opportunity disaster and is silent. No one knows when it will strike and who will be the victim.  You can anticipate and when you do, you have to do your own share of responsibility such as:
• Always plan ahead when going out.  Take note of travel time and transportation for example.
• Avoid dark areas or other dangerous places like deserted streets and dark or isolated parking areas.
• Don’t be comfortable when you pass stationary vehicles and with people sitting inside and with engines running; avoid it.
• It is advisable to walk facing the incoming traffic instead of going with the flow.
• Be sensitive of your environment; thus, avoid wearing headphone when walking in the streets.

Image from content.met.police.uk

• For every action there is always a reaction and vice versa.  Our actions will dictate if we are potential crime victims.  For example, if you practice any form of bad behavior, you are exposing yourself to possibilities of being a crime victim.  If one is participating in activities that promote violence like gang wars, naturally the risk of becoming a crime victim is very high. 

Practice Habitual Security

To avoid being a potential crime victim is to practice habitual security.  It is not enough that you know many of the above ideas but practice them always.  It is by paying attention to gut-feel and instincts with regard to surroundings and the people that you are training yourself to have a security habit. If one allows a moment of laxity and it becomes a habit, then it is difficult to undo and you expose yourself to different kind of criminality.  Some examples of negative security habits are not turning on the burglar alarms when they have one, not stingy when it comes to giving out personal information, or act meek and weak, distracted unfocused.

Image from cityofevans.org

Protect Your Vulnerabilities

Different people have different vulnerabilities and this vulnerability is a result of not practicing security habits as discuss early on this article.  The basic rule in this regard is don’t act or look like a victim.  Some of the popular ways to protect your flaws and weaknesses are:

• It helps to learn the art of self – defense like karate for example.
• Arm yourself with gadgets that will help shock your attackers like tasers, tear gas, electric shock devices and among others.  
• Secure your properties like installing burglar alarms, depositing jewelries in banks, don’t bring to many valuables along with you.
• Look confident always and appear to others as being in control.
• Stay in shape not out of shape.  You can avoid being a victim if your body is agile and be able to react accordingly like running away from possible crime scene.

Six Different Types of Common Crime and How to Avoid

Another way to avoid being a victim of crime is to know different types of common criminality and how to avoid them. According to Scott Shaper in his book Crime Awareness 101, there are six common criminal types that one should be aware of.

• Passive thieves – these are people who are not so aggressive towards the victim as they want victims not around when they commit their crime.  These are the ones who break into your home, car, business office to rob you of your valuable items like laptop, gadgets, and cash and jewelries. To avoid these people is to avoid inviting them in by prominently displaying your valuables like leaving phones in the car, or failure to install alarm systems or CCTV cameras at home or in the office or leaving purses in grocery carts.



Image from www.wxii12.com

• Aggressive thieves – are focused on armed robberies and expect that their victims are around.  They don’t care about people and are willing to kill if they need to.  The crime is usually planned, uses intimidation, and with a weapon of course.  Some of the things that you should do to avoid being a victim of aggressive thieves are:

• Be always sensitive to your surroundings.
• Don’t be alone at night when in the streets.
• Do not display large amounts of cash or jewelries and other valuable items.
• Always inform people of your whereabouts.

• Passive Assaulter are criminals who are not so aggressive but they plan their attack and take advantage of the victim.  Most common example of this kind of criminal are the date rapist.  This type of criminals takes advantage of the vulnerabilities of their victim and very often they lead the individual to their own vulnerability such as spiking their drinks.  The only way to avoid this kind of crime is to know how to avoid date rape, how to take control of your life, how to determine this kind of attacker, and so and so forth.  It is indeed a personal responsibility.

Image from teensdrugabuse.org

• Alcohol and drugs induced troublemakers. These are normal and decent individuals but turned into monsters that moment alcohol and drugs go up in their brain. Everyone has met this kind of people and in fact some of these types of troublemakers are closed to their hearts.  The best way to avoid being a victim of their crime is to stay away from them.

• Silent Predators.  These are usually known as domestic abusers. They usually possess two kinds of personality; one is at home and the other one is shown outside of the house. They are good-natured person outside of their homes but are controlling and violent once inside at the comfort of their homes.  The best way to avoid this kind of criminals is to really know the person before living in with them. 
• Thinkers. The most common criminals in this category are called con artists.  They seriously plan their scams and normally they practice non-violent methods of crime because scam artists offer freebies, discounts, services, and even money.  The best way to avoid as victim of their crimes is to be thinker also. You have to look for signs of them being con artists like offering huge discounts, only offer positive proofs of what they sell, very talkative and full of sweet words, promising so many things. 

There are indeed many things to learn when it comes to crime prevention and in this article you learned that you have to know if you are a potential victim and also know the different common crimes that you should be aware and learn how to deal with it.