HARDEN THE TARGET

It’s easy to get complacent, but you need to remember it’s an often-ugly world out there, and predators are waiting, stalking, planning and actively trying to get what you own — and even to kill you sometimes. From terrorists to domestic killers and hoodlums, today it’s vital you take the steps necessary to protect you, your family and your neighborhood. It’s not just about guns, it’s about a total picture of things. I want you to think about it — now.

The best defense is a strong offense. Some simple things you can do easily can help to harden your target to the point bad guys simply pass you by. I recommend you make your family read what follows. It’s not a definitive list, but it gets the ball rolling. Feel free to copy them and post them at work, church, school or wherever. And I mean that.

The Big Rule

Take personal responsibility for your safety. Nobody else can be relied upon to assure your safety. The cops can’t, hotel security can’t, the guy sitting next to you can’t, I can’t — nobody else can. Only you control your safety.

Don’t be a volunteer victim. Don’t be stupid with your personal safety. Learn and think about the following things. Then apply them — and don’t be lazy about it. I’m not being preachy here, I simply don’t want my friends to be harmed.

2. Harden your Target. Use your alarms, lock your doors and windows and leave a light on. Roaches hate light. Carry a bright combat flashlight in your purse or pocket. It’s a distraction to a bad guy, helps you down a smoky hallway, finds your lost keys, signals for help and, amazingly enough … gives you the ability to see in the dark. Have a knife with you too because you can cut stuff with it if you need to. A pocket tool is also a good idea and could easily save your life.

Traveling: Don’t get into the cab if you’re uncomfortable with the look. Don’t ride with a stranger. Don’t stay in a room you can’t secure safely. When opening your hotel door, wait until people walking in the hall are past you. Act as if you’re looking for a certain number so they don’t know your room. Then once they’re past, unlock your door, look inside, move inside quickly and lock and double-lock the door — now. Bad guys push people into their rooms as their victims unlock their hotel doors — then rob and kill them.

Immediately check exterior windows and doors. Lock them and make sure the locks work. At night, secure the hotel door with a simple plastic door stop you brought yourself — the kind going on the floor. If not, use a chair, hang the coffee pot or coat hangers on the handle and lean the ironing board against the inside of the door. These are all things which help to harden your target. If someone gets past the lock — and they can — the clutter you’ve hung on the knob, etc. will make a crash and they’ll run.

If there’s a door to an adjoining room, don’t trust the lock. Push a table in front of it — anything to harden your target. I do it every time, in every room.

Put a post-it note over the peephole (or stuff a wad of toilet paper in it). There are simple optical tools you can buy on the internet so you can see inside the room from the outside. Cops and bad guys use them all the time and they’re only $10. Don’t let them see inside your room to see who you are, what you’re doing, etc.

When you’re in your room (or gone for the evening) hang the “Do Not Disturb” sign out. When you leave for the day, remove it so the maid will clean up.

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