Personal safety should never be overlooked. Just because the victim has always been someone else, doesn’t mean that you won’t one day become a victim yourself. But there is good news, there are many steps you can take to help avoid becoming the victim of crime.

The first line of defense is you. That's right, you! You have to be conscious of your safety wherever you are. This does not mean to be paranoid of everything and everyone around you, but to be cautious and expect the unexpected.

Eventhough there are no guaranteed steps to prevent an attack, there are a great deal of things you can do to reduce the chances. The are too many categories to list them all, but, for your convenience, here are just a few:

• At the Office
• Automatic Teller Machines
• Beware of Dogs
• On the Street
• Parking Garages / Large Parking Lots
• Personal Safety Devices
• Public Transportation

On the Street

• Always be aware of your surroundings and what’s ahead. Avoid dark streets and secluded areas. Do not read while standing on the street.
• If you think that you are being followed by a suspicious person, do not go home. You do not want that person to know where you live. Go to the closest lighted house or public place and call for help.
• Don’t walk alone, use the buddy system. Do not wear headphones while walking or jogging. Carry a bright flashlight with good batteries if you walk at night.
• While walking, face oncoming traffic so you can see who is coming at you and what they are doing.
• Carry your purse away from the street and be prepared to let it go if it gets snatched.
• If you feel that you are in danger, yell out for someone to call for help. Listen to your intuition and follow your instincts. It is better to be a little embarrassed if you are wrong.
• Don’t carry large sums of money on your person.
• Don’t overload your hands with shopping bags or other items.
• Carry a cell phone (or enough money to make a call) and a whistle or other noisemaker.
• When talking to strangers, remain at last two arms lengths away. No one should need to get any closer.
• Don’t hitchhike or accept rides from strangers.
• Be clothing conscious. High heels and skirts can be very hard to run in. Baggy clothes and scarves can be grabbed easily. Have a plan of action for escape if you were to be confronted while your hands were full, or you were wearing unfriendly clothing.
• Tell a friend your social plans. Let him/her know when you’re leaving, when you plan to return home, and whom you will be with. Be sure not talk about your social life or vacation plans in the company of strangers.
• When dropping friends off at home, make sure your passengers make it safely inside and close the door before you pull off. Ask them to do the same for you.
• Report all suspicious persons to you local authorities as soon as possible.

At the Office

• Don’t leave your keys, wallet/purse, or other valuables lying about where others have access to them. Secure them in a locker, desk, or in your car.
• Notify management or security of any suspicious persons loitering about.
• When leaving your building after work, ask another person to walk with you to your car, especially when leaving at night.
• Be careful in elevators, stairwells, and other isolated or poorly lit areas.
• When using an elevator, stand near the controls and locate the emergency button. Do not get into an elevator with someone who looks suspicious to you. If you are already on an elevator when a suspicious person enters, get off and wait for the next one.
• Get to know your co-workers and look out for one another.

Parking Garages / Large Parking Lots

• Walk quickly to and from your car and have your keys in hand. Don’t loiter in the garage.
• Stay in lighted areas at all times. Parking garages should be well lighted both during the day and at night. Parking lots should be well lit at night.
• Park your car near the guardpost/parking attendant or near other cars.
• If see a suspicious person loitering about, go back to where you came from. If you just got out of your can you can always get back in and leave.
• Always lock your car and keep your valuables out of sight.
• Always check inside of your car before you get into it.

Public Transportation

• Stay awake and alert at all times and beware overheard conversations.
• Have exact change ready and sit near the driver.
• Do not tell anyone where you are going. If you are exiting the public transportation, and followed, move quickly to a populated area.

Automatic Teller Machines (ATM’s)

• When choosing a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for your financial card(s), don’t use obvious ones like birthdays, make them unique. Do not write PIN’s down or tell them to anyone.
• Use a familiar ATM for quickness. Make sure it is well lighted and in a highly visible area. If the surrounding lights are malfunctioning, find another machine.
• If you see a suspicious person loitering around the ATM, do not approach. Use another machine.
• Stand close to the ATM so that no one can see the PIN that you enter.
• Lock the passenger doors of your vehicle while using drive-up ATM’s.
• Do not withdraw large sums of money at one time.
• As you leave the area following a transaction, do not walk with your money or wallet exposed in your hands. Count your money in a safer environment.
• Do not discard your receipts in a public receptacle. Some ATM’s mask all but the last four numbers of bank cards, but not all machines do. Bring them home, compare them to monthly statements, and then shred them.
• Try to do your banking during daylight hours.

Beware of Dogs

• If you are approached by a strange dog, stand still and remain calm. Let the dog sniff you. Don’t scream at the dog and then run. Running will activate the chase instinct in the dog.
• Know where the dog is and look in its general direction, but not into its eyes which is considered a challenge.
• In a mild, but firm tone, tell the dog “NO! GO HOME!”
• Stay still until the dog leaves. As the dog walks away, back away slowly until it is out of sight.
• If the dog does attack, try to feed it you coat, shirt, briefcase, pocketbook, etc. to distract the dog while you back away slowly towards safety.
• If you are knocked down, curl into a ball and keeps your hands over your face, neck, and ears. Try not to scream or roll around.

Personal Safety Devices

• Personal Alarms and Whistles. These devices fit in the palm of your hand and emit a loud noise that is uncomfortable to the ear. In an emergency, a personal alarm or whistle could provide you the necessary distraction to get away from someone and run for help.
• Chemical Weapons. Consisting of mace, pepper spray, and other spray irritants, these defensive sprays are meant to temporarily distract and incapacitate an attacker, allowing time for the victim to flee.
• Stun Guns. Delivering more of an incapacitating blow than chemical weapons, stun guns deliver a high voltage electrical shock to the suspect, rendering him immobile or unconscious.
• Firearms. The most severe of the personal safety devices is the firearm. While chemical weapons and stun guns are meant to be less-than-lethal, firearms can be quite deadly. The laws are very restrictive as to when this type of force may be utilized. Laws also vary widely across the United States as to who can carry such weapons and when and where they are permitted. To carry a firearm in the state of Georgia, you must obtain a permit. For more information please see §OCGA 16-11-120 thru 134.