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Personal Safety
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Dress for Shopping
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Wear comfortable clothing with a number of pockets.
You can carry your money, ID and credit cards in your pocket.
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Avoid flashy jewelry whether it is real or costume.
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Comfortable shoes are a must.
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Avoid Purses and Wallets
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Leave your hands free to deal with kids and
packages, etc. Definitely avoid shoulder purses
of any kind. If you must carry a purse, carry a
short strap hand held purse. Carry only the
essentials in your small purse or fanny pack that
you can keep close to your body.
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For men, Instead of a wallet, secure your cash in
a money clip in your front pocket. If you must
carry a wallet, wear snug fitting pants or carry
it in your coat breast pocket so that you would
feel if someone tried to steal it out of your
pocket.
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Cash, Checks, Credit Cards
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Carry cash in denominations no larger than a
$20.00 bill. If your bank gives you larger
denominations, have them exchange it before you
leave.
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Carry your cash in various locations on your body
such as pockets, socks, bras, etc. Never pull all
of your cash out at once.
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If you carry a check book, make sure that you keep
up with the check numbers and the recipients.
This will assist you in cancelling your checks.
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Carry only the credit cards that you need while
you are shopping. Always log your credit card
numbers with the 800 numbers and keep them in a
safe place or e-mail them to yourself and file the
information in an electronic folder just in case
you have to cancel them.
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Lock Your Vehicle Doors At All Times
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Most vehicles with electric door locks can be
set to stay locked when you put your car in park.
You should only unlock your door from inside
manually.
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Parking Lot Etiquette
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Drive around a parking lot and make sure
that there are no suspicious activities going on
before you park.
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If you are going to be returning to your
vehicle after dark, park in a well lit area.
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Landmark yourself so you can return to
your vehicle easily.
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Have everything in your hands before you
get out of your vehicle.
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Look around to see if it is safe to exit.
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Exit quickly, lock your door and proceed
to your destination.
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Keep your keys in your hand in case you
have to use them as a defense weapon.
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Walk in the center of the drive. If a
vehicle approaches, step to the driver’s side of
the approaching vehicle and let it pass. Then
return to the center of the drive. If someone is
crouched down behind a parked vehicle, this action
would make them run to you instead of you going
near them.
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Make good eye contact with people and
issue a verbal acknowledgment. This lets the
potential attacker know that you have seen them
and may possibly recognize them again.
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When Returning to Your Vehicle
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Have your keys in hand, quickly enter
into your vehicle and leave.
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DO NOT sit and arrange packages, make
phone calls or put on make-up. This allows a
potential attacker time to approach you.
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Entering Into Your Vehicle
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Do not activate your remote keyless entry
until you are even with the back of your vehicle.
If done any sooner, someone could enter into your
vehicle before you do.
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If You Are Attacked
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Do not resist. There is nothing in your
packages, purse or wallet that is worth your life.
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If you are forced into a physical
confrontation to protect yourself or others,
scream to call attention to yourself.
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Physical Defense
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You can use your keys or thumbs to gouge
the attacker’s eyes
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Use the heel of your hand to jam the
attacker’s nose or adam’s apple
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Knee the groin area or stomp down on top
of the attacker’s foot. The purpose of these
defense tactics is to stun your attacker so that
you may make a quick escape.
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Describe You Attacker
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Race, gender, height, weight, identifying features
such as scars, marks, tattoo's and other oddities,
glasses, clothing (particularly pants and shoes),
vehicle descriptions and direction of travel.
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Strength in Numbers
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Shop with others. If you are by yourself
and feel apprehensive about returning to a parking
lot, ask for an escort from security or a store
manager.
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Do Not Leave Valuables Visible in Your Vehicle
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Cash, purses, coins, jewelry, cell
phones, camera's, backpacks, GPS systems and
laptop computers are very popular items.
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Make Sure That You Are Not Followed
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If you think that you are being followed…DO NOT
DRIVE HOME!
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Call 911 on your cell phone, know your
location and remain on the phone.
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If you do not have a cell phone, drive
around until you see a Police Officer or go
through a fast food drive thru window (one that is
clear) and ask the clerk to get a description of
the vehicle if they can and call the Police for
you.
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Always See That No One Enters Your Garage
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Exit your vehicle only after you know
that things are secure.
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911 is a Free Call on Your Cell Phone
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Even
cell phones with no data service can be used to
call 911. Keep a cell phone charged and with you
if at all possible.