If you’re someone who has to live and work around areas with poor security, you’ll often be faced with the question of how to stay safe amid insecurity. For instance, many NGOs are often forced to pull out of areas where there is little to no security, forcing the less fortunate people in those areas to fend for themselves.
According to a group of personal injury attorneys at The Barnes Firm NY, “In recent years, the world has witnessed a steady decline in global peacefulness.” There are a lot of things that could lead to insecurity all around us. As such, we need to ensure a level of safety in our environment, especially when relocation is impossible at that time for whatever reason. Taking simple steps and making certain adjustments in our everyday life can ensure that we remain safe to an extent in an otherwise insecure environment.
Here are some simple tips that will help in identifying factors that mean danger around you and aid in making everyday activities secure for you and your loved ones.
General Safety Tips
1. Avoid insecure hotspots
Any area in your environment that is a focus of certain unsafe activities should be avoided. This can be a corner, shop, or even a park that is known to harbor people who exhibit dangerous and illegal behaviors. Avoiding these could mean avoiding trouble.
2. Car stickers
Anything on or in your car that exposes your home address, office address, or any other personal information, including clues about where you live, or work, should be removed instantly. These can be stickers, brands, or logos. They could also be numbers, addresses, or barcodes and may be part of an elaborate security system for your home, estate, or workplace. Avoid them as your car should tell none of your details.
3. Avoid identifying your workplace
Never wear your ID cards or office-branded clothing or openly carry letter-headed documents outside your office. People associate workplaces with financial status. So, the less anyone knows about where you work, the better. Unless it is someone you know and trust, avoid giving any information or showing off where you work.
4. Social media posts
Avoid posting pictures or videos that show where you live, members of your family, or anything even vaguely referencing your location or your family online. This will stop predators, scam artists, and other criminal kinds from getting information on you.
5. Learn to Defend Yourself
It never hurts to learn how to throw a punch because you just might never know when you might need it. The benefits of attending a self-defense program are endless; sign up for a class as soon as possible.
6. Always have a line of communication.
Let someone know where you are at all times and do the same for your family members. When going out, someone should be made aware of the details of your movements, including time, route, and destination. There are phone apps that can help with this.
7. Don’t go out at night or during periods of low visibility.
This may include working late, hangouts, exercise runs, or simply going out for a walk. Night-time is primetime for crime, and in an environment where security is a problem, avoid moving around at such times.
8. Be careful about spending money or showing off in public.
This includes overspending at clubs, stores, events, and so on. Go as far as deleting any information that reflects what you have in your bank account, like ATM receipts or text messages. Also, avoid having things on you like expensive cars, jewelry, and clothing that reflect a good financial standing. This will be a beacon to draw criminals to you.
9. Be vigilant
Be aware of your surroundings at all times. When walking or driving, have a clear awareness of the immediate area around you. Avoid wearing headphones when walking as sounds can alert you to possible dangers around. Also, be sensitive to the atmosphere in the area you are in. If you live abroad and there is increasing political tension in your location at any time, it may be a good idea to take a trip home. This sensibility can be an early warning system for dangers you can avoid.
10. Secure you house
Lock your doors, windows, and cars, especially at night. Have security systems that alert you when they have been tampered with. You can get security companies to come and fix these in your home. Also, ensure that your home is locked and secure, especially when you go to sleep.