• Have your keys in hand when you go to your vehicle
• Don't walk alone at night
• Always be alert to the people around you.
• Always keep your eye on your credit card
• Only use official taxis at airports.

• Keep your purse, wallet, keys, or other valuable items with you at all times or locked in a drawer or closet.
• Check the identity of any strangers who are in your office -- ask whom they are visiting and if you can help find that person.  If this makes you uncomfortable, inform security or management about your suspicions.
• Always let someone know where you'll be -- whether it's coming in late, working late, going to the photocopier or mail room, going out to lunch or a meeting.
• If you bring personal items to work such as a coffee pot, a radio, or a calculator, mark them with your name or initials and an identification number.
• Report any broken or flickering lights, dimly lit corridors, doors that don't lock properly, or broken windows.  Don't wait for someone else to do it.
• Be discreet.  Don't advertise your social life or vacation plans and those of your coworkers to people visiting or calling your place of work.

• Reception area -- Is the receptionist equipped with a panic button for emergencies, a camera with a monitor at another employee's desk, and a lock on the front door that can be controlled?
• Stairwells and out-of-the-way corridors -- Don't use the stairs alone.  Talk to the building manager about improving poorly lighted corridor stairways.
• Elevators -- Don't get into elevators with people who look out of place or behave in a strange or threatening manner.  If you find yourself in an elevator with someone who makes you nervous, get off as soon as possible.
• Restrooms -- Attackers can hide in stalls and corners.  Make sure restrooms are locked and only employees have keys.  Be extra cautions when using restrooms that are isolated or poorly lighted.
• After hours -- Don't work late alone.  Create a buddy system for walking to parking lots or public transportation or ask security to escort you.
• Parking lots or garages -- Choose a well-lighted, well-guarded parking garage.  Always lock your car and roll the windows up all the way.  If you notice any strangers hanging around the parking lot, notify security or the police.  When you approach your car, have the key ready.  Check the floor and front and back seats before getting in.  Lock car as soon as you get in -- before you buckle your seat belt.

Violence in the workplace takes many forms, from raised voices and profanity or sexual harassment to robbery or homicide.  While homicide in the workplace is rising, 75 percent of work-related homicides are committed by unknown assailants while committing a robbery or other crimes.  Despite media hype, the attacker usually isn't a disgruntled coworker.  To assess a workplace's vulnerability to violence, ask yourself these questions.

• Is your office secure? Do you have easy-to-use phone systems with emergency buttons, sign-in policies for visitors, panic buttons, safe rooms, security guards, office access controls, good lighting, and safety training?
• Does your employer take care in hiring and firing? Before hiring, are employment gaps, history, references, and criminal and educational records thoroughly examined? Are termination procedures defined clearly with attention to advance notice, severance pay and placement services?
• Could you recognize potentially violent employees? Signs of stress that could erupt into violence include: depression, frequent absences, talking in a louder-than-normal voice, being startled easily, increased irritability and impatience, and concentration and memory problems.
• Are you encouraged to report to unusual or worrisome behavior? Is there a clear, written policy that spells out procedures in cases of violence and sanctions for violators? Make sure you know to whom you should report unusual behavior.
• Do you work in a supportive, harmonious environment? Is there a culture of mutual respect? Does your employer provide an employee assistance program (EAP)?

If you can break in, so can a burglar!!

A small investment of time and money can make your home secure and can reduce your chances of being a victim of burglary, assault, or vandalism.

Get to know your neighbors.  Watchful neighbors who look out for you, as well as themselves, are a front-line defense against crime.  In almost all residential homes burglars and thieves enter through an unlocked door or unlocked window.

• Make sure every external door has a sturdy, well-installed deadbolt lock with a minimum of 1^1/₂" bolt.
• Secure double-hung windows by using key locks or by sliding a bolt or nail through a hole drilled at a downward angle in top corners of the inside sash and partway through the outside sash.  Secure basement windows too. The hole should be large enough that the nail or bolt slides in and out freely, in case you have to open the window fast in an emergency.
• Don't hide keys in mailboxes, planters, or under doormats. Give an extra key to a neighbor you trust.
• If you've just moved into a new house or apartment, have the locks changed. 

• Make sure all exterior doors are metal or solid, 1^3/₄" hardwood.
• Doors should fit tightly in their frames, with hinge pins on the side.
• Install a peephole or wide-angle viewer in all entry doors, so you can see who is outside without opening the door.  Door chains are not security devices - they break easily and won't keep out an intruder.

• Trim shrubbery that hide doors or windows. Cut tree limbs that could help a thief climb into windows.
• Turn on outside lights after dark to illuminate porches, entrances and yards - front & back. Consider installing motion detectors.
• Keep your yard well maintained. Store ladders and tools inside your locked garage, basement, or storage shed when you're not using them.
• Clearly display your house number, so police and other emergency vehicles can find your home quickly.

If you have valuables in your home, or if you live in an isolated area or a neighborhood vulnerable to break-ins, consider an alarm system.

Before you invest in alarms:

• Check with several companies and decide what level of security fits your needs. Sources of information include your local police department, the public library and the Better Business Bureau.
• Look for an established company and check its references before using them.
• Learn how to use your system properly. If you continually set off false alarms, your neighbours will ignore the noise and your could even be fined by local law enforcement agencies. 

Burglars generally don't want to run into their victims.  But if they're surprised by someone coming home, or if they pick an occupied home, someone may get hurt.

• If you see a screen that has been cut, a broken window, or door that's been left open, don't go in. Call the police from a neighbor's house or a public phone.
• If you hear a noise that sounds like someone breaking in or moving around quietly call the police and wait calmly until they arrive. If you can leave safely, do so. Otherwise, lock yourself in a room, or, if the intruder enters the room you are in, pretend to be asleep.
• Think carefully before buying a firearm for protection. Guns can be stolen and sold to anyone, or captured and used on you or the police. If you do own a gun, keep it locked up, with the ammunition secured separately, and learn how to use it safely. 

• Join or help start a Neighborhood Watch group.  If one doesn't exist, ask your police department to help you start one.
• Look around for the things that could contribute to crime; i.e. poor street lighting, abandoned cars, vacant lots, littered playgrounds with broken equipment, homes that elderly people have trouble maintaining.  Help organize a neighborhood cleanup/fix-up day.
• Keep written records of all furniture, jewelry and electronic products.  If possible, keep these records in a safe deposit box, fireproof safe or other secure place.  Take pictures or a video, and keep purchase information and serial numbers if available.  These help law enforcement agencies track recovered items.
• Update your home inventory, listing pilferable items like VCR's, stereos, cameras and computers.  Take photos or make videos of items, list descriptions and serial numbers.  Check with law enforcement about Operation Identification; i.e. engraving your valuables.  If your home is burglarized, this can help identify stolen items & make insurance claims easier to file.
• If your neighbours are even victims, help them out. Offer sympathy and support; help with meals, repairs, or baby-sitting
• Put lights and a radio on timers to create the illusion that someone is at home when you go away.  Leave shades, blinds and curtains in normal positions.  Stop the mail and newspaper, or ask a neighbour to take them in.