View from the cop: Crime & punishment
View from the Cop is moving to a new site on Wordpress. Blogger Steve Rose of the Sandy Springs Police Department gives his take on crime, offers safety tips and give his weekly picks from the police blotter. Follow Steve Rose to the new blog site.
AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2009 > January > 15
Thursday, January 15, 2009
A big part of crime prevention is perception
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The better part of crime prevention involves the “perception” of what you want to protect.
For example, I’m only about five-feet eleven so as I approach, there is no real intimidation factor. (I hate to admit that.) That all changed after I started wearing an eye patch and a Viking helmet.
Perhaps at night, at a party or something, this would not be such a big deal but showing up in a police car to handle a bar fight—well, I think I command a presence!
Eye contact is something that can speak on your behalf. Do this: The next time you’re at the mall, as you’re walking along, look at people as they are approaching you—especially when there aren’t too many other people. As you cross into that “personal space” of the person approaching you, look them in the eye.
That’s the easy part. As they look up and at you, continue to look at them. Don’t smile, don’t nod, just look at them as you walk by. It is uncomfortable but you can bet they’ll remember it longer than if you tried that half-smile thing where you just tighten your lips and just glance at them.
Here’s how this all works:
When two people who come into range, or in contact with one another, a message is sent from each. Don’t show any submissive vibes but instead, be assertive. Look the person in the eye, opposed to looking down to the ground, as you pass. Hopefully you’ve got your pepper spray and / or taser, hand grenades, whatever, in hand, hidden, but in hand. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Are you being over paranoid? I don’t think so but a little paranoia is a good thing when you’re out and perhaps in a vulnerable situation. I’m not saying have the AR-15 shoulder-ready with a few hundred extra rounds strapped across your chest although that would be very cool.
What I’m saying is that if something were to happen, the bad guy will always look for the best opportunity and you won’t have time to “reach” for something. Trust me, If it happens, it will happen quickly. Don’t leave that up to someone else. Prepare. Give him the “look.” It says “I’m not afraid of a little eye contact.”
You can upgrade that to “I’m crazy and well armed” or “The voices are telling me to clean my guns” look. (There are many variations.) Pop an Alka Seltzer and have that rabid look as you walk in the mall, whatever works. All the “look” is doing is showing some assertiveness. Maybe that person entertained thoughts of following you to the parking lot? The “look” may discourage that. Who knows? Crime prevention results are often hard to gauge because in most cases, you’ll never know if you deterred someone from doing something or not.
Even for men, in public, don’t fall into the “submissive nod” thing. Most men, if they do acknowledge another man passing them, will nod and look down when they pass someone. Don’t do that. If you pass and you’re going to acknowledge another male, you want to be the Alpha, not the Beta male, during that brief time you pass.
Here’s what you do: look at them as you pass, nod up, and then look ahead with that sort of squint on your face like you’re Steven Segal in that Sprite commercial. If that doesn’t get you respect, try the eye patch and Viking helmet.
