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 Practice basic rules for street safety By Gene Friedman Cpl. Charlie Fields of the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department has been a police officer for almost 24 years, almost as long as the Savannah College of Art and Design has been in existence. He knows Savannah as well as anyone and knows how to safely navigate the city. Following are Fields' basic rules of street safety, accompanied by recommendations from past columns and some new tips. The first rule is to stay alert. Establish a personal safety comfort zone. This is a reactionary distance that provides time and space to protect yourself - time for your "fight or flight" instinct, discussed below, to kick in. In our country, the typical comfort zone when talking to someone is about an arm's length away. Other cultures decrease this distance. Regardless, if someone unwanted or uninvited invades your "space," it is a warning signal that you should heed. Heads up. Maintain awareness of your surroundings: make sure you are aware of who is in front of you and who is behind you. If you wear headphones or are engrossed in a cell phone conversation, your vital senses will not detect danger. You won't hear someone approaching you or become aware of other warning signals. You will also be distracted from processing these signals and reacting to them. Scan, look and listen for potential hazards. Look before entering or leaving your house, work or car. Most of us have tunnel vision. Particularly if we are in a rush or have something on our minds, we will walk or drive with blinders on, unaware of our surroundings. Danger might be readily apparent but we just don't see it. Stop, look and listen are excellent rules to live by whether driving across railroad tracks or walking down the street. Use common sense. Common sense actually is not too common. If you are unfamiliar with an area or have questions or concerns, ask, get directions, take someone with you, stay away from the area. Choose. Know your route and change it if necessary, walk facing traffic, walk on busy streets, avoid alleyways. Do use well-lit, populated streets and avoid areas where someone can conceal himself. If you think that someone is following you, go into a store or restaurant. If the person lingers out front, call the police and tell them that you are being followed. If there are no nearby stores, use your cell phone to call the police. They would rather respond and find that you are OK than get a call later on that you had been robbed. The second rule is to communicate. Send the message: You are confident, calm and have it all together. Transmit that message in your body language. Be assertive. Stand tall. Walk purposefully at a confident pace. Do not constantly look down or as if you are in another world. Do not walk like a victim. Remember when your mother told you to stand up straight? That good, self-confident posture sends a message to those around you: You can take care of yourself and will not be intimidated. Use eye contact. Be sure to make eye contact with people you encounter and acknowledge their presence. This lets them know you are attentive and aware of their presence. This also lets them know that you can identify them. Speak up. If someone harasses you or accosts you then yell at them loudly. The louder the better. The more forceful and confident the better. Show no fear. If you walk like a victim, act like a victim, look like a victim, you may very well become a victim. The third rule is to trust your instincts: If it doesn't feel right, then it probably isn't. If something makes you uncomfortable there is probably a reason for it. Fight or flight: Is it time to fight or time to run? If you feel an imminent threat then act. Run away, scream, activate an alarm, etc. Make those in the area aware. If attacked, use self-defense weapons at your disposal. However, don't fight if the attacker has a weapon. If a criminal pulls a deadly weapon on you, give him everything he wants. Friedman is director of college security at SCAD. |
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