Falling Victim to Crime and How to Avoid It
(Here is another in a special series of articles by Jeff Cantor, an expert on personal security and safety.)
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Why does this make good sense? Because criminals look for “targets” that are “easy” or “soft” meaning those who are not paying attention!
And bad things do not only happen at night. Crimes are committed in broad daylight every day all over the world. Here are some recent examples …
Some creep attempted to kidnap a 13-year-old girl in Florida while she was walking home from school.
Then there was the woman who was brutally attacked and mugged in broad daylight in Manhattan as she walked through Chinatown. She was not only robbed of her belongings, but slammed to the ground and suffered a cut to the back of her head.
 It’s important to be aware of your surroundings and the people who are nearby.
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All of these people and many, many more who have been victims of vicious attacks were all robbed of the same thing … their sense of safety.
Most people live complacent lives, their senses and instincts dulled by daily patterns until they no longer recognize danger until it’s too late.
The only inoculation for disrupting the attacker’s plan is by training your mind to recognize pre-attack indicators. The more quickly you can recognize these indicators, the greater tactical advantage you will have over the criminals.
Here are four important pre-assault indicators you need to recognize:
1. Prolonged Eye Contact
Did you ever have a situation where someone was looking directly at you for a bit too long? In most cases, this is aggressive behavior. And it can be an immediate sign that something bad is about to happen. Many times this behavior precedes a direct attack.
2. Quick Looks
Robbers, pickpockets and other crooks often steal furtive glances as they evaluate places or people as targets. They may also be looking out for the cops, or anyone else who might interfere with their plot. Many times an attacker will fixate on the area of your body that will be attacked.
3. Physiological Changes
Sometimes criminals will exhibit physical behaviors as they prepare to strike. Stress could cause tremors, quickened breathing, heavy sweating, and dilated pupils. Signs of aggression include a puffed out chest, flared nostrils, clenching fists, and swinging or flailing arms. These physiological changes could also be caused by anger or agitation as well as drugs and alcohol.
| “Be wary around people who stand out as a little too cool, calm and collected.” |
Consciously evaluate every individual along with the circumstances. If you get a bad vibe, then take the initiative – make a plan and execute it before they get a chance to attack.
4. Tactical or Combative Maneuvering
You’ll spot this most easily when two or more criminals have chosen you as their victim.
But you can spot it with single attackers too. For example, you’re walking in the mall and a man passes you going the other way. A few yards later, you’re window shopping when you notice the man is now behind you, also window shopping. Clearly, he changed direction to follow you, perhaps to snag your purse or maybe much worse.
A group of attackers is much more dangerous because they have more options. One can distract you while another attacks. When someone asks for the time, I never look at my watch or smartphone. I tend to back away and look for another attacker before I decide whether to answer them or not.
Three or more attackers can spread out like a wolf pack and herd you toward someplace where there’s no place to run and no one to help. They can drag you into a waiting car or van. And of course, they can simply surround you and all attack at once.
So it’s very important to keep an eye out for people who seem to be acting in concert even though they’re not obviously together. Look for people who move with you or who work to keep up with you when you change direction.
Consciously using these pre-assault indicators can help you recognize attackers before they strike. And the more you use them, the better you will get at seeing potential trouble.
Your mind is your greatest weapon as it directs all conscious thought, movement and functions in your body. It can also assess danger and determine how to avoid it before the assailant can even get close enough to jump you.
Nothing is written in stone and there is no surefire tactic in combat. But one thing is for sure: If you hesitate, you will be forced to react instead of act. From that moment on, your actions will be determined by what the assailant does. And that puts you in a truly inferior tactical position.
If you want to win, train your mindset so that you are best equipped to focus on behaving in a decisive and confident manner. Develop physical skills to prepare you for the expected and unexpected challenges of conflict. Learn to take action so YOU control the outcomes.
Until next time, stay alert, check your six, put your back against the wall and stay safe!
Jeff
P.S. I’m deeply concerned about the explosion of mass shootings and terrorism we’re seeing in places like Columbine, San Bernardino and Orlando. I absolutely refuse to stand by quietly while these kinds of tragedies continue to happen. That’s why I created FREEDOM FROM FEAR with Sheriff John Bunnell of America’s Wildest Police Videos. And it’s why it’s so critical that you view it the minute it’s released Tuesday, July 12. Click here now to register!
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Some
airlines are actually taking financial hits because of low fuel prices.
Delta Air Lines (DAL) said Wednesday that it is taking a $450 million
loss because jet fuel prices didn’t jump as much as the airline had
figured they would, according to CNN. The airline had locked in fuel
purchases in hedges at levels above the current market value. It had bet
that jet fuel prices would go up, which was a correct bet. But they
didn’t rise nearly as high as it had anticipated. That meant that the
hedge was a losing bet. Delta pulled out of the fuel contracts, at a
loss of nearly half a billion dollars.This comes after United Continental (UAL) said that it lost $604 million last year on fuel hedges. Southwest (LUV)) said earlier this year that it could lose more than $1 billion on its hedges in the coming years; it lost $254 million in 2015. Fuel prices are up 60% from their January lows but are off 20% from a year ago. So it’s not all bad news for the airlines. They lost on the hedges, but the lower overall prices are meaning that most airlines are paying less on new fuel purchases at market prices than they were a year ago.
A
fleet of autonomous, wheeled drones are to be used on the streets of
central London to deliver meals ordered through the Just Eat app, the Mail Online
reports. The ordered meals will be put inside insulated compartments of
the drones. Customers will be given a code to open them when the
vehicle arrives at their door. The entire operation will be monitored by
actual humans in control centers. These humans will be able to take
over remotely should there be any problems.Worried about thieves intercepting a delivery? The company says it has that covered. And if you’re worried about someone stealing your Thai green curry, fear not – the battery-powered drones send an alert back to the dispatch center and snap a picture of the person attempting to snatch the goods.
South
Africa Olympic hero Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to six years in
prison for murdering his girlfriend inside his home in 2013. He will
have to serve about half his sentence before being considered for
parole. The double-amputee sprinter had earlier been sentenced to five
years for the equivalent for manslaughter, but that conviction was
overturned and upgraded to murder after an appeal by prosecutors. He
could’ve been sentenced to 15 years for the new conviction, and some
critics said the new six-year term was too lenient.Comment on these or any other issues below.
The Money and Markets Team
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