CRIME and YOU

General Discussions for all members.

Moderator: Site Admin

Post Reply
User avatar
fatboy
Ranger
Posts: 1058
Joined: November 26th, 2006, 12:30 pm

CRIME and YOU

Post by fatboy »

Since I brought the topic up in the other thread, I'll start it off. These are some observations I've found that are common to criminals and their victims. To keep the posts short enough to be readable, I plan on doing a few shorter posts over the next few days on a few different topics. Hopefully everything from safety on foot to gas station awareness, car safety, and any other topic that people want to address.

To start this off, here’s my intent with typing this out. It’s to offer tips/ tricks a well as observations on criminal activity, and how to avoid being a victim. Hopefully others with experience will chime in and offer insight as well. For anyone that reads it, feel free to ask questions or comment as needed.

To most of us, this will be common sense. Some things might be a refresher, and to others reading this, it hopefully will be a lightbulb going off.

To start with, most crime you encounter at the street level will be based off of few wants by the criminal- they want what you have (property crime) or they want to hurt/ kill you (personal crime.) In either of those cases, to accomplish their goals, they have to do several things, not necessarily in order. They have to get close enough to you to impose their will. They have to get your attention, and they have to act on their desires. Each area of the country has it’s own ways criminals approach these situations. In my area, most street robberies occur after a conversation. A simple “hey man, you got a light?” progresses into a robbery. Any generic question gets you attention and allows them to close the distance. To stop that from occurring the answer is always no. “Got a light?” No. “Can I use your phone?” No. “Wanna buy…?” No. The answer is always no.

To avoid giving them the opening they need to make their approach, keep your head up and looking. Spot them before they find you. There is nothing on your phone that is so important that you should let someone walk right up into your bubble with out challenging them. Simple eye contact can go a long way to letting them know you won’t be their next victim. Don’t be afraid to be direct and tell them to back up. If they fail to listen, then escalate your response. “Back up man. I said back the fuck up!” At that point, their reaction will tell you what your next steps need to be- fight or flight.

If they stop, change directions, move out of the way, or generally discontinue their approach, then things are ok, or mostly so. If they ignore you, press on or pick up their pace, or start trying to talk to you like they still want something, then prepare for violence. If they start moving cover garments, reaching into pockets, or digging around their waistline, all sorts of bells and sirens should be going off.

A word on preparing for violence- it means just what it says. You don’t need to whip out your concealed handgun and immediately shoot the guy, but you need to have a plan in place already so that you don’t get vaporlock if something bad happens. And don’t think that preparing for violence means you should get ready to be the recipient of whatever violence is about to occur. One additional note on violence- if it happens, then fully commit to it. Do what you need to do to get away alive and safe.
RS 07 and 08-01 (I took the long tour in Florida)

1-508 ABCT
1-327IN
101st Pathfinder DS1
Iraqi Freedom 03-04, 05-06, 07-08
User avatar
IEDmagnet
US Army Veteran
Posts: 969
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 4:48 am

Re: CRIME and YOU

Post by IEDmagnet »

One of the biggest things I see is a lack of physical security. A lot of the criminals I deal with are, for lack of a better word, lazy. So...

1- Lock doors. Sounds easy but a little over half of the burglaries, auto break-ins, and auto thefts I get are at least in part caused by failing to secure their property. None of us are ever in such a rush that taking two seconds to lock a door will cause us to miss something.

2- Don't advertise. That can mean a lot of things, but in this instance I mean don't leave high value/high demand items laying in plain view. Ie. don't leave GPSs in the windshield, don't leave iPods or iPads laying out, don't leave your computer or book bags/computer bags laying out on back seats or center consoles. If you are out shopping secure packages in the trunk, not just laying in the vehicle.

3- Completely destroy financial documents you no longer need. Anything with PII on it needs to be shredded and/or burned before being thrown out.

4- Lock computers and personal devices with a unique code or password. Taking an extra second to unlock your phone or computer may seem like a pain from time to time, but it could be the difference between you being a victim or not.

I'm sure I'll think of more, but that's the kind of things I'm seeing the most of right now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
A/3/505 PIR, 82nd 96-98
B/2/121 Inf, 48th BCT Iraq 05-06
B/1/118 Inf, 218th BCT Afghan 07

I'm not stupid, I'm crazy...there is a difference.
User avatar
fatboy
Ranger
Posts: 1058
Joined: November 26th, 2006, 12:30 pm

Re: CRIME and YOU

Post by fatboy »

Part 2 Shopping centers and gas stations

Everybody shops. Everybody that uses a vehicle needs gas. So these places are a target rich environment for predators.

When you go shopping, the first concern is parking. Everyone, myself included, wants to park close to the doors. My reccomendation instead is to park close to the cart return. Right next to it infact. Preferably with your driver’s side right next to it. Why? Simple. It gives you a clear line of sight for anyone approaching, with no way to use a car’s blind spot to sneak up. It also minimizes the time away from your unlocked vehicle after you load up.

After parking, the next best thing for you to do is look around the parking lot and see who or what is outside. Take note of what they are doing and where they are at. Especially the ones that are trying hard to not look like they are loitering. Those are the ones that are looking around, sizing up people, and finding the next victim. Especially be wary of a small group that splits up and then moves in the same direction, especially bewteen the aisles. (Flanking maneuver anyone?)

Common schemes used to make the approach all revolve around asking a question or asking for help in some way: “My car is out of gas, can you spare some money?”, “I locked myself out of my car, can you help?”, “Hey can you give me directions?”

All of those are common innocent questions, and all have been used to initiate street crimes. Again, eye contact and a simple “Stop” command will guage their intentions. You can talk to someone from a safe distance outsideof your bubble. Most honest people will stop and conduct business that way. IF they continue their approach, escalating verbally is the best option, followed by preparing for violence. And remember, the answer is always “NO!” There is nothing shameful in telling them you have nothing they want.
Once you made it inside, conduct your business, then go back out, try to identify those same people you spotted on the way in. Are they still stationary? Has the group grown? Shrank? Did they move?

Don’t unlock your car until you get close to it. No sense in giving scum a chance to get inside longer than you have to. Women (or Men) that have your kids with you- get the id in the car after you’ve loaded up everything else. Worst case scenario your car is taken with your child in it. If they are with you helping load groceries or being a pain in the ass, then that menas they will still be with you if the worst happens.

Gas stations present similiar problems. Those problems can be avoid by careful selection of the entrance you use followed by which pump you go to. Try to make your selections so that you can at least scan the area while your car is in motion prior to having to get out.

When parking at the pump, use your car as a shield. Pull up far enough that the pump it self is one barrier. Use you car door a second barrier, and the car as the third. The idea being that anyone wanting to do you harm has to approach from either the door side or the open end, and allows you a reactionary space while they get close.

Don’t get back in the car while pumping either. Stay out, stay near the nozzle, and stay aware. Again, verbal judo will be your buffer. If they bad guy is insistent, your first line of defense should be the gas pump. No one wants to be soaked with gas, and no one wants to get burned like a human match stick.

Now is a good time to address use of force vs use of deadly force. Use of force is generally allowable to protect your self and others from being attacked or from property loss. Deadly force is generally allowed to stop or prevent serious bodily injury or to stop or prevent a forceable felony (robbery, rape, burglary, arson). Each state defines those crimes separately, so know your local laws. In my area, a basic theft is elevated to a robbery if force or the trheat of force is used against the victim. So if a bad guy runs up and takes my cell phone out of my hand, that is a theft. But if I’m holding it tightly, and the action of him pulling on it yanks or moves my arm, it now now become a robbery. Same thing if the guy walks up, tells me he is going to shoot me if I don’t give up my donuts, and then runs off. Thats a robbery because of the implied use fo force if I resist.

Don’t assume that just because you have a castle doctrine or stand your ground laws that you can go straight to guns with out any issues either. Each state that has castle doctrine also has it worded differently for when it comes to your houses, your cars or your place of employment. Again, in my area, someone trying to remove me from my car by force is covered under robbery of a motor vehicle. The key word being robbery.

In future posts, I’ll talk some more about safety while driving, routes, what to do if you think you’re being followed, and road rage.

Feel free to add, critique, or ask questions. I'll explain or go more in detail as much as possible.
RS 07 and 08-01 (I took the long tour in Florida)

1-508 ABCT
1-327IN
101st Pathfinder DS1
Iraqi Freedom 03-04, 05-06, 07-08
User avatar
cams
Ranger/Moderator
Posts: 9644
Joined: June 9th, 2005, 6:45 am

Re: CRIME and YOU

Post by cams »

Lot of people out there walking around completely oblivious to their surroundings, afraid to look others in the eyes, always have headphones on, whether it's to block out all the noise around them or not, it's goddamned silly to do.

Some people are just walking victims waiting for a crime scene to happen around them.
2/75 HHC C/E 89-92
Rio Hato/AO Diaz CCT/Commo

"It is a heavy thing, to see a Father so strong in life, unable to rise."

"A great civilization is not conquered from without
until it has destroyed itself from within." -W. Durant
User avatar
Grifter
Ranger
Posts: 1699
Joined: February 2nd, 2006, 2:28 pm
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: CRIME and YOU

Post by Grifter »

cams wrote:Lot of people out there walking around completely oblivious to their surroundings, afraid to look others in the eyes, always have headphones on, whether it's to block out all the noise around them or not, it's goddamned silly to do.

Some people are just walking victims waiting for a crime scene to happen around them.

Agreed Cams...I work in a City Park these days. I always amazed at how many women are walking around alone..ear buds in, head down, staring at their f-ing phone..lap after lap...maybe if you can't hear it or see it the bad guy won't be real. :|

something I focus on a lot is footwear..especially the ladies..what happened to choosing the right footwear for the environment you expect to walk thru..?

Today it was like 20 degrees...wind chill around 7 w a little bit of humidity to make it cut right to the bone... This chick is walking off path, thru the snow, in the park, in those little "dance flats"...no socks.. My buddy drove up to her in a gator because he was so concerned about her wellbeing..her exposed skin on her feet and ankles was bright blood red colored.. had to hurt..can we say frostbite...dumb ass. God bless her though for wearing those yoga tights for pants. I can't imagine those provide that much protection either...

We lovingly call these people "victims of fashion" frankly they are probably the same dumbasses who slip and fall and then call a lawyer..and go after the municipality for damages..
Jan 00-Dec 03
1/75th C-2 / HHC SNOT.
OEF/OIF
RS Class 06-01
Black to Tan Change-over Ranger
MI Glenn English Base of USARA
Post Reply

Return to “The Mosh Pit”