How To Protect Yourself From Street Crime
How can I protect myself from street crime?
Protecting yourself from street crime involves minimising the risks of becoming the victim of street crime, and that involves taking sensible precautions. It's about having an awareness, as best you can, of where you are and the people that are in your surroundings. For example, if you look like you're lost and not aware of your surroundings or the location that you're in, then you potentially look like an easy picking for someone who might potentially want to take your property from you. If you seem more confident around where you are and you do show that you are looking around and aware of who else is where you are, you become far less likely to become a victim of crime. It also involves sensible things as well. Have I got jewellery on open display that potentially could make me attractive to criminals? Where am I using my mobile phone? Have I got my MP3 player on and am I actually as a result of that in my own world and not aware of who's approaching me? They're the sort of things that if you show some awareness of the surroundings you're in, minimise the risk of you becoming a victim of crime. I think another thing, here regarding the late-night economy and people going out to enjoy themselves in the evening, is around planning your route and way home afterwards. So, if there's a group of you going out, it might be good to discuss early in the evening about how are you going to get home and potentially going home as a group so that there is, if you like, safety in numbers. However, I think it's important to balance the need to be sensible without being too afraid and having a real fear of crime. It's a sensible balance between the two.
