Unfortunately muggings and street robberies are a common occurrence around the globe, from back snatchers to pick pockets to even more violent assaults. According to the UK crime statistics website, Greater Manchester Police recorded 6,260 ‘thefts from a person’ between April 2016 – March 2017. So, how do you avoid becoming a victim? We’ve listed 5 basic points below, they are all common sense, just not common practice.
1. Be aware of your surroundings
As humans we have 5 main senses….touch, taste, smell, vision & hearing. These help us to tune into our surroundings and they are crucial for survival. Your vision & hearing will alert you to danger on the street, unless you can smell danger in the air! Try to avoid things that will impair your senses such as wearing hoods, looking at your mobile phone, listening to music or being drunk. They will desensitise you to your surroundings & switch off those early warning senses. Have fun & drink responsibly, but remain aware.
2. Avoid overt displays of wealth
Ditch the camera from round your neck, swap the expensive watch for something more subtle & avoid the typical laptop style carry cases. Invest in a plain backpack or shoulder bag which doesn’t draw any attention to you and will keep your belongings hidden from view. A money belt can work well to hide cash & credit cards, also supermarket shopping bags are a good way to disguise valuables from view.
3. Be the ‘grey’ person
The idea behind being the grey person, is to blend seamlessly into whatever environment you are in and avoid drawing attention to yourself. You want people to walk past you in the street without giving you a second glance. You should aim to dress modestly & for the environment, avoid loud colours & brash logo’s. Dressing in dark & organic colours such as greens, browns & greys will help you blend in to your surroundings and keep a low profile.
4. Move with purpose
If you’re bumbling along dragging your feet & looking lost, your body language will scream ‘vulnerable’ target. Thieves want an easy pay day, they don’t want to fight for it. You want to present as a hard target and make them think twice about approaching you. Keep your head up & display positive body language, walk & talk with confidence. Study a map before leaving your hotel, familiarise yourself with easy to remember reference points such as street names & landmarks. This will aide you in maintaining your bearings and avoid getting lost.
5. Trust your intuition
In Afghanistan or Iraq prior to an engagement with the enemy, there would be indicators that the atmosphere was about to change & something bad was going to happen. Locals would shut up shop & villages went from busy to ghost towns in a matter of minutes. Ok, i know that’s an extreme analogy, but listen to your ‘gut feeling’. If something doesn’t feel right, it usually isn’t. If you think you are in the wrong part of town, you probably are. Stick to well lit public areas, don’t be tempted go down any backstreets or take short cuts you’re unfamiliar with and be wary of over friendly people, as they may not have your best interests at heart.
Aj Vickers
Security Advisor
Prime Media Safety
