1. “Trust your gut!” Base those rare “fight or flight” decisions on instinct.
2. Don’t let the “Normalcy Bias” control you. This applies before a bad situation occurs as well as when you find yourself “face to face” with a threat.
3. Always be aware or your surroundings. Put yourself in the perpetrators position and ask “Am I an easy target?”
4. Make staying safe a habit both in your personal and professional life. Implement your safety plan this month and then practice it until it becomes a habit.
5. Keep your phone with you at all times. Download a safety App today!
6. Verify new customer information before you meet with them the first time. There are numerous resources available to aid in verifying the identity of people. In that same vein, be careful with your personal info. Use common sense. Criminals will use those same resources to check you out. Limit the personal information that you share online. (Tell everyone about where you’ve been and not where you are or where you’re going.)
7. Take a self-defense class and / or choose to carry a personal protection device such as a firearm, stun gun, pepper spray, etc. This is an individual choice and the use of and training with each device should be carefully considered.
8. Take someone with you when meeting someone the first time. Although there is safety in numbers, it’s not a foolproof method of staying safe.
9. Alert someone of your showing plans and give an approximate time frame. Provide the addresses on your list for that day.
10. Should you become a victim, please help law enforcement catch the crook and solve the crime. Make a habit of calling the buyer just before the showing. This will enable the police to place the crook at the scene. Take a photo of the vehicle and especially the license plate. Send the photo to someone.
