Are You An Easy Target?
Recently, law enforcement warriors have been threatened, attacked, ambushed and assassinated by gang bangers, thugs and knuckleheads. This trend is extremely disturbing!
Are we as cops making ourselves easy or hard targets? What can we do to make ourselves a hard target? Here are a few tips:
AVOID ROUTINE
We are creatures of habit on and off duty. These habits can be helpful to someone that wants to harm us. It is essential that we break some of these habits. Here are a few of the main “habit” to break:
- Alter your route to and from work.
- Alter the time you leave home and leave work.
- Avoid going to the same restaurant at the same time.
- Alter your shopping habits (Go to different stores at different times)
REPORT ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS
I know cops that say it is embarrassing for them to call and report something. This is a macho profession that we live in and for some, calling and or asking for help is not a macho thing to do. We call for back-up when responding to calls while on duty. I had some thug try to break into my house in the middle of the night and I chased him without calling for assistance. After the fact, I realized that was pretty dangerous.
The bottom line is this, if you see someone following you, watching your house, call and report it. It just may be noting. Are you willing to bet your life of the life of your family it?
ACCEPT THE FACT THAT YOU MAY BE A TARGET
We are living in some desperate times and we do make a few people angry. We do not know how some of those people will react when they get out of the slammer. We should always be looking over our shoulder on and off duty. Many of us let our guard down while off duty. We cannot afford to do this. I’m not advising everyone to be paranoid – just be AWARE!
GOOGLE YOURSELF
You will be surprised how easy it is to get information about you and your family.
There is a site called spokeo.com that is an online phone book. It has a picture of your house, credit score, profession, age, how many people live in the house. Remove yourself by the Privacy button on the bottom right. There are many more sites like this one. There are some companies that can assist law enforcement officers in removing their information from the web. It just might be worth it!
PLAN WITH YOUR FAMILY
Make sure your family is aware that being a cop can be dangerous. They should also follow these tips. Designate a place to meet your spouse if there appears to be something suspicious near your residence.
These are just a few things you can start doing now to make yourself a more difficult target. There are many more things that you can do. Avoid complacency and be aware!
Feel free to add to this by posting your suggestions.
Here are just a few incidents of thugs targeting law enforcement warriors:
BOSTON, MA:
Officers who patrol the city’s toughest neighborhoods have been ordered to ride tandem until further notice, barred from driving alone because threats from gang bangers.
Read the full story: Threats of revenge put police on guard
WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI
Nine militia members were arrested and charged with conspiring to murder a police officer then attack that officer’s funeral with improvised explosive devices.
Read the full story: Police officers under fire
HEMET, CA:
- Riverside County sheriff’s Department reported hearing of a threat Friday evening to blow up a “black and white” patrol vehicle somewhere in the Hemet and San Jacinto area.
- Four city pickups with amber light bars were torched across the street from the police department and its gang-enforcement office.
- Someone rigged a gun to go off at the parking-lot entrance to the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley Gang Task Force offices. It did fire, but no one was hit.
- A gang officer found a device under his car.
- On New Year’s Eve a gas line to the office was rigged so that it could have triggered a deadly explosion.
Read the full story: Gang Targets SoCal Cops With Bombing Attempts, Arson
LAKEWOOD, WA
Four officers were executed as they sat in a coffee shop in full uniform. They were preparing for their shift when the suspect walked in, went up to the counter as if to order coffee, then turned and opened fire.
Read the full story: 4 Lakewood officers slain; ex-con sought for questioning
Well said, Brian.
I talk to LEOs all the time who go to a great training and come home all fired up, only to have the enthusiasm squashed by their department culture. Keeping your own standards high and complacency at bay can be a challenge in all jobs.
Stay motivated by keeping in touch with folks you meet in training, subscribing to newsletters and professional discussion groups and reinforcing good habits. This will encourage colleagues, and help you stay out of that “why bother” funk. Officer safety – and good morale – is a group effort.
Thanks for your commitment, Brian, and be safe.
Julie