Safety While Shopping

Like it or not, society is changing. In Yourtown, USA, a trip to the mall now brings risks previously seen in the big cities. Purse snatching, auto burglary, car jacking, robbery, abduction, rape, and even murder are all too commonplace occurrences these days. Despite retailers' efforts to install security surveillance systems and to employ security guards, these crimes continue, often in brazen fashion.

So what can you do to prevent becoming a victim? We do not need to be so paranoid and afraid that we become prisoners in our own homes. After all, there is a world out there and life is too short and precious to live in fear. We must replace fear with a sense of confidence and control. Certainly anyone can search the internet and find tips on being safe. However, these tips are meaningless unless one consistently practices and implements new skill sets.

Here is a list of questions to ask yourself:

• Do you observe a parking lot before you park?


• Are you careful not to park next to a van, truck, or SUV?


• Do you scan the parking lot and observe strangers who lurk on foot or who sit in parked vehicles?


• Do you leave packages or other items in plain sight in your vehicle?


• Do you carry a purse?


• Do you shop at night?


• Do you place items in the trunk or under your seat to hide them after parking?


• Do you remain alert while shopping, looking for suspicious activity or people?


• Do you always have a cell phone handy?


• Do you ever ask mall or store security for an escort to your car?


• When you return to your car, do you spend additional time putting on make-up, looking at the recently developed pictures, balancing your checkbook, checking your receipts, etc.?


• Do you ever look around to see if you recognize a familiar face, as if someone might be following you?


• Do you walk confidently to your car, making eye contact and carrying your keys and cell phone in your hand?


• Do you carry a neutralizing agent, such as pepper spray, tazer, or gun?


• Have you sought training to use these items in an appropriate and legal manner?

Of course, there are a multitude of other questions we should all ask ourselves, many of which, I address in seminars and individual or group training sessions. Staying safe may seem like common sense, but in reality, smart people become victims every day, every minute. Grandma's old saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," rings true in the personal security arena. Despite the FBI's efforts to amass statistics using Uniformed Crime Reports, there is no statistical way to encompass the number of crimes prevented by aware and vigilant people.

It is a fact that criminals often choose the path of least resistance when victimizing others. Someone who appears frail, inattentive, or otherwise unable to defend himself or herself is much more likely to have a confrontation with a criminal. Someone who leaves items in plain sight in the car or who places valuables in the trunk (in an effort to hide them) while in the parking lot, is likely to become a victim of the property crime known as auto burglary. Many perpetrators sit in parked cars, scan the parking lot, and look for people who place items in their trunks. Then once the shopper goes in the store, they smash the window, push the trunk "unlock" button, and abscond with the valuables. Have you ever placed a purse, digital camera, pistol, or other valuable item under your seat after you park? You might think you are hiding your valuables but did you ever think someone may be watching?

On your next trip to the mall or to the local "supercenter" type store make an effort to observe others. If you are like me, you could spend all day people watching. Some look hurried, some look lost, some look totally unaware, and others look like predators. Occasionally you will make eye contact with someone else who is in tune with the surroundings, but not often. It amazes me when I see a mother intent on buckling her child into the carseat, oblivious to those walking within her immediate vicinity. I often want to walk up to people and give them an on the spot personal security lecture.

In short, there are many things we can do to prevent becoming a victim. The key word is "prevent." Sound choices often will keep you out of trouble. Occasionally, someone who exercises all proper precautions finds herself or himself in a precarious situation. Distance is your friend. Try to keep as much distance as possible between you and a potential perpetrator. By the way, anyone is a potential perpetrator. If you see someone walking on the same parking lot aisle as you, and you feel uncomfortable, cross into another aisle. Keep cars between you and the other person. On a recent trip to Wal-Mart, I noticed a suspicious individual, sweatshirt hood on his head, standing within 100 feet of the front door, and scanning the parking lot with his eyes. My wife, with whom I was walking, was totally unaware of this character. Rather than enter that door on the "grocery" side of the store, we traversed the entire parking lot to enter through the door opposite this person. It was a much longer walk, but it was also the safer route. I do not know his intentions, but we later heard of a purse snatching at this same location. Could this have been one of those "unmeasurable statistics," whereby, a crime was prevented by appropriate awareness and prevention? There is no substitute for awareness, sound judgement, and distance!

Copyright 2008 KNM Security and Risk Consultants

If you would like to receive personalized training or to schedule a seminar or group training, please contact Ken at 256.679.7405 or email him at knmconsultinggrp@aol.com