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• Beware of criminal impersonating police officers, especially when you know you have done nothing wrong. Examine badges and credentials carefully. Call the agency if you are unsure.

• If they want to place you in a vehicle or move you to another location or if you have doubts, be courteous and ask them to call for a uniform patrol car to respond.

• If you are in an unmarked car and something they say or do clearly tells you they are not real police, then crash the car.

• If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be a police officer, find out which precinct he or she is calling from and call back to verify.

• If you are approached on foot by someone flashing a badge, demand a uniform patrol car.

• If you are driving lawfully and carefully in an isolated area and a suspicious unmarked car pulls up with a plain-clothes driver asking you to pull over, take no chances. Even if you see a flashing dashboard and single roof light, be careful. Signal to the suspect officer to follow you to a safer, crowded area. If you are stopped, request that a uniform patrol car be sent. Keep your car locked, windows up, and engine running. Ask for the phone number of his precinct. Call 911 if you feel you are in danger and let suspect see you doing it.

Avoiding Purse Snatchers, Pickpockets, and Muggers

• Carry your valuables such as license, keys, and credit cards separate from your wallet or purse, especially when traveling. Purchase a money belt or pouch that can be easily concealed. If a purse-snatcher grabs your bag, do not fight him or her. Many have been injured or killed because they valued their possessions more than their personal safety.

• Most street robberies are perpetrated by one or more criminals who use a diversion. It could be as simple as asking the time or some other question.

• Do not stop on the street. Keep walking and politely decline requests for information, directions, the time, or money. Say you are in a hurry or you have no money, whatever. If the person physically attempts to stop you, be ready to escape. If you cannot escape, be ready to fight.

• Keep in mind that you do not know if the person accosting you is working with an accomplice and setting you up for rape, robbery, assault, or murder. In the case of panhandlers in public places, you could have some loose change to drop, but do not ever go into your purse or wallet to get change.

• If you are walking and somehow become cornered by one or more people and your inner alarm goes off, then you should attack immediately and ruthlessly. As soon as you can, escape. Hit hard and fast, disable the one closest to you, push him or her aside, and run through the gap.

While Jogging

• Pepper spray has limited effectiveness against an enraged and determined attacker.  Use it in conjunction with a defensive strategy: spray and run, or spray, hit, and run.

• Never jog with headphones on; you jeopardize your awareness.

• Stay away from unlit, thick shrubbery adjacent to trails and paths. Remain at least 10 feet away from the sides of buildings and parked cars as you round blind corners.

• Do not jog alone.

• Vary your jogging times and routes.

• Wear a personal alarm that you can set off with one hand.

• If you believe, at any time, you are being followed by a vehicle, turn around immediately and run in the opposite direction.

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