Situational Awareness

[Songbird]

Interesting how having a CHL changes your way of thinking. I stopped at the corner store this morning to get gas and a car wash, then decided to use the free vacuum. As I'm bent over with my head in the floorboard cleaning away, it dawns on me that I have NO CLUE what is going on around me. I've done it so many times, and never gave it a thought until now. Guess I'll be vacuuming my car at home from now on!

[discoqueen]

Just keep it up at home as well!
I was restringing the weed eater out in the driveway the other day, and it dawned on me that I had my back to the alley. We live in a relatively "safe" neighborhood, but ya just never know!

[stealthfightrf17]

It is a good Idea to ALWAYS know what is going on around you. We live in a safe neighbor hood and 6 squad cars came rooling in to a house down the street last night. Still have no idea what was going on, but it was not a noise complaint.

[Excaliber]

It is a good Idea to ALWAYS know what is going on around you. We live in a safe neighbor hood and 6 squad cars came rooling in to a house down the street last night. Still have no idea what was going on, but it was not a noise complaint.

What most folks call a "safe neighborhood" is actually an area where really bad things happen with low frequency, not an area where bad things can't happen. People are often lulled into complacency because no one has taken advantage of the criminal opportunities they make available by leaving garage doors open, doors unlocked, and opening the door to unexpected strangers for quite a while. They are then shocked, just shocked, when someone with the ability and desire to commit a crime takes advantage of the easy pickin's.

They fail to understand that looking at historical incidents is one useful way to help determine what threats are great enough to merit mitigation, but victimization on an individual level (which is what really counts in the end for you and yours) is always either zero or 100%.

Dr. Petit who lost his wife and two daughters to savage home invaders in Connecticut lived in just such a "safe neighborhood." I doubt he derives much consolation from the fact that his loss is really unusual for the area.

[stealthfightrf17]

I agree on the safe neighborhood, I simply ment that things do not commonly happen here.

[C-dub]

Head on a swivel everyone. Never keep it focused in one direction for more than a few seconds. You'll miss something that could cost you a goal or your life. Learned this from many years of playing soccer,riding a motorcycle, a few years working on a flight deck, and now having a CHL. Even sitting here on this forum I still move my eyes from my computer to the television to my back door to my front door to the windows I can see from this spot every few seconds.

[longtooth]

& everything above is spot on.

[03Lightningrocks]

I am thinking about building a concrete bunker in my living room with cameras taping everything going on outside my bunker.

[77346]

I also live in a "safe neighborhood," however I usually check on Crime Reports dot com to see what's going on around here... my local neighborhood newspaper (Atascocita Observer) publishes a crime report once a week and is pretty good at reporting the criminal activity in this area.

[RSJ]

I agree on the safe neighborhood, I simply ment that things do not commonly happen here.

I grew up in "the safest city in America", Plano. Recent events show a woman murdered at a Golf Course 3 minutes from my home AND that wacko that tried to use a device on that gas line, probably 3-4 minutes from home.

[03Lightningrocks]

You fellers really want to get an eye opener, do a child sex offender search around your neighborhood. While I realize some of these are goofballs that got in trouble for taking a leak in the bushes, many are real live predatory offenders. I have done searches in several areas and am amazed at how many of these fine citizens live in the "safe" neighborhoods.

On the other hand, to pretend certain neighborhoods don't pose a higher risk of being victimized than others is naive at best. Otherwise, why not just buy a home on a street lined in crack houses? It would cost 75% less and the danger is the same as living in a gated community in mcKinney texas.

[Excaliber]

You fellers really want to get an eye opener, do a child sex offender search around your neighborhood. While I realize some of these are goofballs that got in trouble for taking a leak in the bushes, many are real live predatory offenders. I have done searches in several areas and am amazed at how many of these fine citizens live in the "safe" neighborhoods.

On the other hand, to pretend certain neighborhoods don't pose a higher risk of being victimized than others is naive at best. Otherwise, why not just buy a home on a street lined in crack houses? It would cost 75% less and the danger is the same as living in a gated community in mcKinney texas.

I don't think anyone here has suggested that all neighborhoods present equal risk.

In my post I stated that low frequency of serious crime in an area is what most folks describe as "safe." What the threshold frequency for that is varies with individuals, depending on what they've been through already.

High frequency of prior incidents clearly indicates high risk of future incidents. My point was that low frequency of prior incidents is not a guarantee that situation will continue, and even a single really bad incident has major impact - especially if it happens to you and yours, even if it doesn't significantly alter the frequency picture for the neighborhood.

Risk is statistical - victimization is personal.

[RSJ]

Risk is statistical - victimization is personal.

So true.

[J.R.@A&M]

I have the exact same thought when I strap my kiddo into his car seat. Sort of like a giraffe at a watering hole.

[03Lightningrocks]

Risk is statistical - victimization is personal.

Is this meant to imply that being the victim of a violent crime is a personal choice?