We can all agree that the world we live in today is much different than that of even ten years ago. Most of us, when we think about defense, safety, and survival we think about it in a physical sense. This is vital of course, but what we don't tend to think about as often is technology and the effects that it can have on our safety and survival as well.

Technology has advanced, and continues to advance at an alarming rate, and is no longer just “science fiction”. We have seen cars drive themselves, virtual reality become a common household past-time, wrist-worn devices warn us of heart-attacks, and we are able to order everything we need right from the internet without ever leaving our homes. These examples are only the tip of the iceberg, with new advancements coming every single day. Though these advancements in technology are mostly designed for good - to make the everyday person's life just a little easier - there are always those that will be eager to use them in a way they were not intended. To harm others.

Enter the Apple AirTag. The AirTag is a device designed by Apple, and marketed as an item tracker. There are many different types of item trackers out there, all with similar features and technology, but since Apple dominates the tech market we will focus on the AirTag, for now. These devices, slightly larger than a quarter, cost about $29 USD each, with a 4-pack costing $99 USD. AirTags can be placed on anything, anywhere, and can be located via your Apple smart device with striking accuracy. In fact, this accuracy is what sets it apart from its rivals. If we are thinking in a security mindset, we immediately have the thought, “well, what if someone attaches one of these things to one of my belongings? What if I find one on my car, or in my purse?”. Unfortunately, this is already happening at alarming rates BUT, fortunately…Apple thought of that, and does have safety features built into “the system”. Some argue, however, that they didn’t do enough as the illicit use of the AirTag has been spreading in incidents across the country, from Connecticut, to Texas, and everywhere in between. You might be thinking, “this won't happen to me. No one would want to stalk me”, but let's remember that most cases of stalking aren't by strangers, they are by people you already know.

Before we address the dangers in more depth, let's look at how the AirTag works. It's actually quite simple – the AirTag sends out a Bluetooth signal (which Apple says is secure) that can be detected by nearby devices in Apple's “Find My” network. These devices will then send the location of your AirTag to iCloud which allows one to use the Find My app to see the AirTag on the map, in real time. In fact, the app almost resembles a compass, complete with a rotating arrow ready to lead you precisely to whatever you are trying to track. Apple states that the whole process is anonymous and encrypted, which is great, but that doesn't include the human factor.

Now, Apple also states that as an additional layer of security, if an AirTag that is not paired with your phone is sensed traveling with you, it will alert you on your phone as well as emit a ping from the unpaired AirTag if it is not found within a certain amount of time. To top it off, it will even give you an option to disable the unwanted AirTags tracking capabilities. This is great, if you have an iPhone. If you own an Android, you will need to take an extra step. Not to mention, we all know that bad things happen can materialize in seconds, so the question is “what if someone gets the location data they need before you get any alerts?”

So, the AirTag is a good product with a good purpose, but you can see that it isn't perfect.

If you are an Android user, it's important to know that Apple does offer an app, specifically designed by Apple for Android called Tracker Detect. Tracker Detect will allow you to manually search for AirTags that may be nearby, and separated from their owners. Reviews for the app, however, state that it is quite limited but still better than nothing. So, if you have an Android you will want to download Tracker Detect and then make it a point to manually scan for devices when leaving places where you may have been vulnerable to victimization, and/or on a regular basis because, anytime you are in close proximity to other people you are vulnerable and they are so simple to plant – just drop them in a coat pocket, bag, purse, etc.        

The AirTag Alternative

There is one primary alternative tracking devive to AirTag – Tile. Tile does basically the same things, but with one major difference – it is designed to work for both Apple and Android. Unlike the AirTag, these devices come in different shapes and sizes. Some look like key fobs, some look like credit cards, while others look like simple little key-chains. Tile also offers a feature that they call “Lost and Found”, which comes in the form of a QR code that you can scan with your own device if you happen to come across a Tile that belongs to someone else. Once scanned, you are given the contact information of the owner of the Tile so that you can return it. Sounds nice, if you're a nice person. As with Apple, Tile also adds in the option to be able to view the last known location of the object that you are looking for so that you have a reference point. Again, a feature which can be used for good or ill.

The Conclusion

So, what’s the message here? Should we refrain from using these devices? Will we be putting ourselves or our loved-ones in danger if we do?

The answer, like with most things when you have a security-first mindset, is this:

Believe that it can happen, pay attention, be mindful, and be careful.

These devices, and much about technology in general is extremely helpful, but we need to understand that while they are typically design and utilize for good, there are always those who will find ways to exploit them for personal gain and victimizing others.

Some tracking device specific security tips:

• Keep you head up rather looking at a screen

• Check your pockets, pursue, bags, etc for such devices

• Make sure your have the device tracker applications and use them

The bottom line is this:

You need to understand that all day, every day, and regardless of where we are, there are people out there that train to victimize us. There are people who want what you have and will stop at nothing to take it from you, regardless of consequences. We need to do what is necessary to make ourselves unattractive as victims so that these threats will find it easier to target the person who doesn’t believe that it will happen to them and thereby make themselves attractive victims. This doesn’t mean that we have to live our lives “in the red” at all times. It means just be truly aware understanding that even when we are, potentially dangerous situations can be difficult to spot. The less aware that we are the more likely we will miss critical cues.

Be proactive and be vigilant!

I get the desire (rather than need) to cut budgets. What I don’t in any way get is the decision to include the School Security/Resource Officer positions, and any security-related items in these cuts! Unfortunately, today, this is far too typical as its happening nationwide. Many times, while parents, who are taxpayers, support budget cuts, they rarely play a role in exactly what is cut once the decision is made to cut and, my guess is, that if they did, they would likely object to the decisions that result. In today’s environment, is security really the place to look for cuts? The answer is absolutely – as long as nothing happens and, if it does, there’s no finger-pointing about what wasn’t done to keep our kids secure.

Remember this, however:

I have schools nationwide tell me regularly that they don’t have “the budgets” to support security enhancements, whether they be technology, training, or anything else. My consistent and unqualified response is – “YES YOU DO!” The question is how you CHOOSE to spend your money. Are activities like prom’s, sports, club’s, activities, etc. worth the tradeoff of exposure to the risk   of danger to our teachers and students? Based on the decisions that are being made, apparently it is and, that’s ok, as long as its understood that, if something bad happens that any consequences that result will be accepted and owned by those who support these decisions.

Do you know that most schools that are doing away with security-related positions are just leaving the responsibilities completely empty? In other words, cut the positions and do nothing to replace the purpose that the position existed in the first place!

It’s shameful for anyone to knowingly support this. Again, just remember as long as nothing happens everything is fine but, if it does happen, look no further than the support for the cuts and the decisions on exactly what is being cut.

Accidents are rarely truly accidents. In law enforcement we called “car accidents” “car crashes”. Why? Because they are always a result of something or circumstances, that didn’t have to exist. Sometimes a faulty part that was unknown to be faulty, but most times they are faulty due to a lack of proper maintenance. Icy roads? Only if your speed is excessive for conditions. By far the majority of crashes result from bad decisions – not paying attention, going too fast, swerving for things that shouldn’t be avoided, lack of proper maintenance, lack of the right, or enough, training, and on-and-on.

Beyond car crashes, most criminal victimizations result from the very same thing – bad decisions. One minor mistake; one split second of a lack of attention; one thing that you don’t feel right about and dismiss as paranoia; one person that you allow to get a little too close to you and it’s all over! Everything changes!

And…many times what we label as chance wasn’t chance at all, it was chosen. Example: you are chosen as a victim by chance or, you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The fact is No on both counts. You did something to make yourself attractive as a victim or put yourself in “the wrong place at the wrong time” because you didn’t pay attention or were oblivious to circumstances. Now, I know what I’m going to get from this from some people – “you are blaming victims”. And, you would be correct. Why, because in most cases the victim is to blame for what happens to them. Sorry, but this is a forum where I don’t worry about politically correct or softening things to make people happy.

So, security is much about decisions, or bad decisions, due to a lack of being able to make good decisions under highly chaotic circumstances.

The first bad decision, however, starts with not believing that it can or will happen and therefore doing nothing to prepare yourself, or your kids, to recognize potential problems.

I was talking to a mother whose children were now adults off on their own. She is a trusted consultant to my company who is well aware of the services and values that we provide to our clients. I asked her if she would have found $10/month to be worth it to receive our information when her kids were younger and her quick reply was “no”. When I asked her why she basically said that victimization was just not something she worried about nor wanted her kids to be concerned with at young ages.

And there is the problem!

This is the general way of thinking of most parents, school, businesses, etc.

The real problem is that they don’t believe that anything can or will happen and therefore they do nothing for themselves which transfer to doing nothing for their kids.

Do you think schools will keep your kids secure? If you do…think again. I am fairly intimately aware of a local school district whose residents began to complain about what they perceived to be an excessive budget, rising taxes, etc. So, the school board responded with cuts. Do you know what they cut? You likely guessed it – the school security officer. The question became, so what are they doing for security now? Very little and likely even nothing. So, your school is soooo concerned about your kids security that one of their first cuts is security-related. And then, when something happens, there will be sorrow, questions, and blame going to everyone but the ones really responsible – them and the parents who didn’t pay enough attention or care. Sound harsh and insensitive? Sorry but its truth and fact.

So, the lack of belief that anything can or will happen creates an inability to successfully resolve problems that result from bad decisions. In other words, bad decisions result in failed efforts to prevent, now what?

The next problem is that few actually stay abreast of the news. If you don’t know whats going on you cant possibly know what the threats are and, if you don’t know what the threats are, you cannot possibly defend yourself against them – you are ideal victims! I cannot many people aren’t aware of some of the major threats there are to their security!

So, back to the premise of this article – decisions. The ability, or lack thereof, to see a potential problem developing; the ability, or lack thereof, to prevent it; and the ability, or lack thereof, to resolve it when we have been unable to prevent it.

It starts with believing that it can happen. From there it really only requires that you invest just a bit of your time into understanding and learning.  

Oxford High School – 3 Killed; 8 Hurt

I have an initial question in which the typical answer raises the real, underlying problem with proper preparedness in our schools, and with our kids personally:

Do you think that either the kids, parents, or school district ever thought that this would happen?

For the majority, by far, the real answer is no. Even though many would say that they do believe this could happen, if they truly thought that, both parents and the school district would have done much more to prevent, and prepare these teachers and kids to deal with the problems and challenges that these incidents present…and there are many, many problems and challenges.

I hear this from schools consistently:

“We don’t have the required budget or time in our schedule to do more.”

To this I say:

“Really. But you have the required budget for things like dances, athletics, clubs, proms…you have the money AND time. The question is how you chose to prioritize what is available!”

Schools have the money and the time.

And now, the impact statement of this article:

The school cannot, and will not, keep your kids secure!

Law enforcement and “the system” cannot, and will not, keep your kids secure.

So, if you assume, like all of the parents who sent their kids off to school at Oxford High School yesterday, that the school, teachers, law enforcement, and “the system” will keep your kids secure…think again!

Real security requires a completely new way of thinking about, and achieving it. If you are truly interested in keeping your kids secure, everywhere, and under all circumstances, it’s going to take some real interest, time, and effort that starts with understanding why what everyone believes will keep them secure will not, and how to fix what is now generally accepted, industry standard, and failing.

The job, unfortunately, is yours as a parent but it starts with you, and what you do to keep yourself secure that forms the foundation for what it takes to keep your kids secure.

Don’t let this be your kids because it will be too late at that point.

Join us in our journey to create Real Security. The Real Security Journal is a complete resource for what is required to create secure people, parents, kids, schools, and communities.

6 Dead; 48 Injured! SUV slams into Waukesha WI Christmas Parade

If the Wisconsin Parade Incident Doesn't Raise the Bar of Responsibility for you as Parent...Nothing will. It's time for harsh reality!

My life has been giving people and businesses solutions to preventing and surviving incidents of violence. Now, however, it seems that my life has been trying to convince people of the need to "believe that it can happen", take responsibility for their own security and of their kids, and instilling desire to seek out solutions that will develop the skills needed to build security. In general, these efforts fall on deaf ears and then... something happens and, it's too late! And the results of doing nothing becomes someone else's fault and we just don't see that the consequences of thinking we are immune to violence and danger, and the resulting lack of doing nothing to prepare ourselves and our kids, is ours and ours alone as parents. 

PLEASE LISTEN TO ME! Today's threats are unique, dangerous, and everywhere! Do you think that the people at this parade ever thought that it could happen to them? Or even more importantly, theirs kids? Maybe its time for me to get a bit more harsh and not worry about being offensive and doing whatever it takes to get the necessary attention and, even more importantly, the necessary action.

Here's the deal: You are responsible for your own security and, if you have young children, you are responsible for their security. There will come a time however, and it will be at a younger age than you may think, that the responsibility has to be transferred to them because, you just cant be with them all of the time. 

I could put together a montage of hundreds, if not thousands of people who, following victimization, when its too late, said things like:

"this is stuff you see in the movies"

"I never thought it could happen here in our quiet little town"

"I never thought it could be me"

and-on-and-on-and-on! 

The most memorable interview that I saw following the tragic school shooting in Parkland Florida was a female student who, while sobbing uncontrollably, said this:

"everyone thinks it wont happen to them"...

and then it does and, again, the blame always fall to everyone but ourselves as parents and what WE did, or didn't, do because we didn't think it would ever happen becomes harsh reality. By then, however, it's too late and we are forced to deal with the consequences. 

Well...it can happen and you had better understand that. Especially today where threats to our security are far more likely, they are unique, and they are dangerous. 

Is this harsh? Absolutely! Am I concerned about hurting feelings or coming across as being rough or offensive? I have been! But no more! Its time to start changing things and understand that there is no one that is responsible for our security except ourselves. Either take it seriously or risk losing someone that you care greatly about or...just as importantly, them loosing you. 

Now...how to avoid victimization at large gatherings on roads and in places where vehicles can be used to hurt or kill:

Its really simple. Put yourself in the position of the bad guy. You are in a car and your goals is to hurt or kill as many people as possible. In order to raise the number of victims you would either have to strike more people in a confined area, or move from place-to-place for a longer period of time to get access to more people who are spread out. In order to do this, you would need clear and open space which would mean that you would avoid anything that would slow you down or disable your vehicle right? 

So, the answer is simple: 

If you are involved in a large, crowded, open venue that would allow the use of a vehicle as a weapon of mass destruction, find and stay in areas that present barricades or would be deterrent to the threat due obstacles that would disable their vehicle or prevent them from continuing on. 

What do I mean? 

Picture yourself on a crowded, open street. What types of things could be used effectively? Telephone poles, planters, benches, trees, and even curbs are better than nothing. What if, however, none of these were present and you only had building on either side? The deterrent, under these circumstances, would be the buildings because striking the building would hinder their progress and slow them down so... walk along the sides of the buildings. 

If there are no buildings or anything else of security value? Stay away from the crowd. Stay on the outer edges. If you saw the video of the vehicle massacre in Waukesha WI, the vehicle sped past many scattered people until he came upon the dense areas of the crowds. 

Think about what would be attractive, and happening to a threat under highly chaotic circumstances. Remember "tunnel vision" and what they would see, hear, or think as a result of it. 

You can, and will, find the answers BUT, you have to want them and be looking for them. You have to "believe that it can happen". If you don't, you will do little or even nothing to prepare yourself but, even worse, you will do little or even nothing to prepare those that you are responsible for and/or those that you love and care most about - your kids and families. 

One final question: The weapon of choice in this incident was a vehicle. Should we ban them as a result? Think about that.

It’s unfortunate, but reality. In general, we create victims! As schools, society, and in many cases…parents. We don’t do this purposely and certainly not knowingly. BUT, you need to be aware of this.

Think about your child in school today:

Someone walks up to your child, and punches them in the face, grabs their hair and throws them on the ground, assaults them.

Now, answer this question:

In general, what does the school expect your child’s response to this to be?

If you said “do nothing…walk away and let someone else resolve their problem” you would be correct.

Next question: Does someone else resolve their problem? Rarely! And definitely not in the moment, the time where they are being assaulted and vulnerable to injury.

I cant tell you how many times, as a police officer, that I had parents come to the police department, and file complaints that their child was getting assaulted regularly at school and they wanted our help to stop it. My obvious first question to them was “have you talked with the school about it?” Their response – “I’ve been to the school 3, 4, 10 times and it continues to happen and even gets worse”.

Now think about this:

What are we teaching our kids? Not only that they shouldn’t defend themselves, but its actually wrong to defend themselves and then, when they need to be able to defend themselves guess what they have no idea how to do? And then, someone comes to their school to hurt them and what happens? Victim counts pile up and, its always someone’s else fault…the school didn’t do enough to keep our kids secure, law enforcement didn’t respond quickly enough or appropriately, and on-and-on. BUT there is typically little accountability for our role, and what we did or didn’t do, what we accepted or didn’t accept, as parents.

Don’t you think it might be a good idea to teach our kids that its OK to defend themselves when necessary and even to teach them how to do it if necessary?

“And keep in mind that child victims become adult victims.”

I’m not in the business of telling anyone how to raise their kids however, this is something that you, at minimum, need to be aware of and consider and, there are many things that happen within the walls of our schools that are little more than facades to securing our kids.

The bottom line is this: Your kids school will not keep your kids secure and you need to understand why this is the case, in spite of appearance, in spite of the presence of School Resource Officers, drills, training, etc. Why? Because in the end, the responsibility is yours. Stay with The Real Security Journal for resources to understanding the threats, the problems with what we do, and the solutions.

https://www.sentinelsource.com/cityguide/true-security-beyond-high-school/article_2b2f4f98-27a8-11ec-bca8-8b2f57f4d3cb.html

I hear it over and over again. It was way too common when I was in law enforcement and responded to a call-for-service for a break-in or burglary. The first question I would ask is:

“Were your doors locked?”

Common response:

“No. That’s why we live here. We shouldn’t have to lock our doors”.

It’s amazing to me how many people are not secure simply because they never thought it would, or even could, happen because of where they live! “I’ve lived here my entire life and I’ve never had a problem”. Do you really believe that because it never has happened, it never will happen? Especially today?

Something else to consider:

Even if you were right that you have nothing to worry about where you live, the questions are:

• Do you always stay where you live?

• Do you ever venture outside of your home, neighborhood, or community?

• Have you ever gone anywhere where your surroundings were completely foreign to you, or it was clearly outright threatening to your security?

Those who never think that it can or will happen and therefore do nothing to prepare become the most likely victims. Why? Because content and unprepared are completely obvious to those who may be looking to victimize you.

Some people believe that talking on cell phones in areas of vulnerability is actually an advantage from a security perspective. Why? The thought is that if a potential threat sees you talking on a cell phone, they will consider you a more risky target for them due to your ability to inform the person that you are talking with of situation.

Now, the question is…”is this REALLY a good idea?” or is it just something that looks and sounds good on paper. That’s ultimately what we need to make our best efforts to determine. When there are varying opinions on what safety and security really are, you need as much information as possible so that you can make your own decisions. Keep in mind that everything that is designed to keep us safe, and it’s real effectiveness, is all theory-based because, what works in one instance is never guaranteed to work in any other instance.

The bottom line is this:

Talking on a cell phone could potentially deter an adversary! There is, however, a significantly important “BUT” that you need to be well aware of. This question cannot be answered generally! The answer will be specific to you and maybe even circumstantially dependent.

A threats #1 criterion for choosing a victim?

It’s important that you understand how threats choose their victims. Why? Because if we know how they choose victims, we can be far more successful in our efforts to avoid victimization, right?

The answer is simple: Someone who is not paying attention!

So, with that in mind:

Think about YOU because that’s who this is all about. When you are walking down the street talking on your cell phone, can you truly pay attention to what is going on around you? And I mean laser-focus? The answer needs to be based in complete honesty with yourself in order to find the answer to this question - for you. For me, the answer is no and my guess is that, if you are truly honest with yourself, it will be for you as well. When you are conversing with someone and you have other things that divide your attention, one of the two suffer a lack of appropriate attention. But, maybe you are different.

Threats rear their ugly heads in the most subtle of ways. Faint noises that you’re not even certain that you heard, or not. The way someone looked at you. A movement out of the corner of your eye. If we don’t catch these, we miss critical, and sometimes the only, opportunities to prevent, escape, or prepare to win and go home.

Are you completely confident that YOU would catch these things while talking on the phone?

Next Question: What could being on the phone when an attack starts accomplish for us?

Think time here! If you are on the phone when an attack starts, how much time, and what opportunity will you have to provide information to the person you are talking with that will allow them to respond quickly enough to stop what is happening to you? The answer is - none!

Could it help in crime solving? Maybe? But that doesnt help you at all “in the moment”.

So, being on the phone, assuming the deterrence aspect has failed, will likely do nothing to help you.

The Risk/Reward Equation

The question is, does the possibility of deterrence outweigh the benefits of paying attention. The advantages of paying attention, seeing the potential problems, and reacting to prevent, escape, or prepare, in my opinion, far outweigh the possibility of deterrence.

So, is it worth being on the phone while in areas of elevated threats?

Again, the answer is on you. Can you talk and truly and truly pay attention.

How about this option:

If you are convinced that being on the phone will successfully deter a threat, but understand the critical advantage of being aware and alert, then how about the benefits of both:

Appear to be on the phone while paying complete attention to what is going on around you!

Just a thought!

This purposeful act could actually ensure that your attention levels are at their highest.

If I ask 100 people if they are concerned about safety and security, their own, their kids, family’s, and employees, it’s safe to assume that all 100 would answer in the affirmative. The question is “can you define what that really means"?” Not by the official definitions, but what they means to you, your family, and your business or organization. If you can’t define it then how will you know if or when you achieve it? How will we formulate a plan to get to “achievement”?

First, understand that you can’t “achieve safety and security”.

Achieving safety and security would indicate that you are there and have nothing more to worry about. That, is impossible when it comes to safety and security.

So, what can you do?

You can achieve ultimate states of preparedness and the ability to prevent, avoid, react, and respond quickly and appropriately under high stress circumstances. You can significantly enhance your ability to see potential trouble, recognize signs of violence, and de-escalate - all things that require elevated levels of expertise; all things that take understanding, knowledge, and even some work.

Do you know the difference between “safety” and “security”?

Safety: Safety is the condition of being protected from harm or other non-desirable outcomes, caused by non-intentional failure.

Security: Security is the condition of being protected from harm or other non-desirable outcomes caused by intentional human actions or human behavior.

Now, the question becomes, what do each of them mean to you? You likely spend a ton of time with your kids, families, and employees teaching them about “safety”, but little and maybe even no time, on security. Why? Because safety, the dangers that are non-human related, are easier to talk about. We have a hard-time with the security aspects because we don’t want to scare our kids, employees, or clients or we don’t want them to know that there are bad people and things that would intentionally want to hurt them. But…there are! 

Security is something that we should be teaching our kids starting from the time they are old enough to understand anything at all; not when they are getting ready to go off to college. 

Do you, and/or your kids know how to perform CPR? Use an AED device? Stop the Bleed? By far the majority do not. If you own a business you certainly teach your employees these critical things so, why not your kids and family! Are they less important than your employees? Assuredly, not. In fact, we should be teaching our kids these things in school! And if the schools won’t do it, then do it yourselves. Seek out and find these skill development training courses. It may save their lives, or they may save someone else’s life, someday!

Watch This Video First

So…a lot to talk about in this incident. The first question is:

What is the foundational problem here?

If you said, “she wasn’t paying attention and therefore wasn’t ready to react to a problem” then you would be correct and I hope that, based on the title of this article, that you did, in fact, clearly note that to be the core problem. If not, that’s ok.

Being aware and ready to react are prevention methods. The problem with prevention. We cannot stop acts-of-violence from happening in their entirety - no matter what we do. So, in this case, like so many systems designed for prevention, it failed.

Let’s go beyond prevention, however.

So, her prevention efforts (or what should have been her prevention efforts) failed, and now she finds herself in a very dangerous situation. Her assailant points a gun at her and demands that she get out of the car. She does! But, was that the best option? Many would say that when you have a gun pointed at you, there are few options, and that’s a reasonable belief. But, let’s break that down:

First, should she be concerned about him using that gun? Absolutely… because you never know and can never take that for granted. The question is, how likely is he to use it, at least at that particular location and situation? Well, if he intended to use it then why didn’t he just walk up to her, shoot her, and then do whatever it is that he wanted to do?

One possibility is that his ultimate plan required her to be alive, at least temporarily.

So, obviously his goal was to take her somewhere else. But why?

Because, whatever it is that he wanted to do to her, he could not do at Crime Scene #1.

Understanding Crime Scene 1 vs Crime Scene 2

• Crime Scene #1: The point of first contact with your threat

• Crime Scene #2: Wherever they want to take you from there

The lesson here is simple:

Never, ever, ever, ever, allow yourself to be taken from Crime Scene #1 to Crime Scene #2. EVER. And there are zero exceptions to this! I don’t care if someone is holding a gun to your head, a knife to your throat, or anything else.

Why? Because if they want to take you somewhere else, the outcome is likely to be really bad.

So, the best chance you will have to win is going to be at Crime Scene #1. As a result, you fight with everything you have right there, on the spot.

Many times we feel like we can “wait for the ideal moment or opportunity”. That will likely never come yet presents itself at Crime Scene #1.

Now that you understand Crime Scene 1 vs Crime Scene 2

Where was her next error? Getting out of the car rather than leaving the scene.

And then? Peacefully getting into the trunk!

“Why didn’t she just hit the gas and run him over?”

It’s a really simple yet rarely understood explanation:

Because running someone over is completely counter to our nature and what we’ve been taught throughout life. We’ve been programmed to avoid hitting anything when we are driving. Heck, people crash and/or roll their cars simply to avoid hitting an animal. In fact, people die trying to avoid hitting an animal!

So, while running him over may seem like an obvious choice when analyzing someone else’s incident, when we are “in the moment” we are likely to do what we have been trained to do or what is natural.

There is much more required to really understanding these situations and how to prevent and prepare for “winning and going home” when prevention fails. The question is - how important is this to you? It’s not what you learn from this article, its what you do beyond reading this that really matters.

To sum this up very generally:

• Avoid ATM’s that are in places that would allow for convert victimization

• Be constantly aware of what is going on around you while you are at the ATM..or anywhere

• Prepare your will to be at the level needed to do whatever is necessary to win and go home!

There are many reasons why you believe that you are secure, yet are far from it. Recognizing and accepting this is critical to making the changes necessary to becoming secure.

The first, and primary, reason why you are not secure is that you are lacking the “foundation-of-the-foundation” of real safety and security…”Believing that it can happen”… to you, your family, or your business. Lacking this belief is the root cause of assuming that we are safe and therefore believing that we don’t need to do anything further to ensure our safety and security and, if we are parents, the safety and security of our kids. I always say:

“as parents, how seriously you take your own safety and security will have a direct impact on how seriously you take the safety and security of your kids”

If we don’t believe it can happen to us, we certainly won’t believe that it can happen to them and, if, as a result, we do little to nothing to ensure our own safety and security we will do little to nothing to ensure the safety and security of our kids, families, or homes.

Keep this important fact in mind: The majority of the victims of crime never thought it would happen to them and, therefore, they never did anything to prepare to respond appropriately to a threat. And then…it did happen to them! One of the most memorable interviews I’ve seen was a female student of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Massacre say this while crying uncontrollably:

“everyone thinks its not going to happen to them”

Next, we rely on others to keep us safe when, in reality, they neither will, nor can they. Law enforcement? No! Our kids schools? NO! Our employers? NO! Our Churches? NO! Is there anyone who can keep us safe? Absolutely!

Who can keep us safe? YOU! And only you.

Take the first step and think about this. Don’t think that it won’t happen; think about what you would do if it did happen!

And then, take the numerous next steps to ensure that, if it does happen, you and/or your family and/or business will have the best chance of winning.

This is a far too common misconception amongst inexperienced gun owners.

Let me ask you this hypothetical question:

If someone were to enter your home to do you harm, and assuming that it was very clear that they intended to seriously injure or kill you, and you, therefore elected to use a firearm to defend yourself - what would your intent in so doing be?

Here are the most common two answers:

• Shoot to kill

• Shoot to wound

Shoot to Kill:

I hear this all of the time - “If someone comes into your house and you have to shoot them, you had better make sure that they are dead!”

Shoot to Wound:

Another very common answer - “shoot the gun out of their hand” or “shoot them in the leg or hand”

Here’s the bottom line:

Neither of these are correct and it’s critical that you get them both out of your mind.

The correct answer:

“Shoot to Stop”

Thats it! Stop the threat. Once the threat is stopped, anything further will result in very bad consequences for you! So, say this over-and-over again in your head:

Shoot to Stop

Shoot to Stop

Shoot to Stop

Until it is etched in your mind!

As a law enforcement officer there were few things, if any, worse than having to inform a parent that their child had died. Its gut-wrenching! But, when the reason was overdose, in too many instances, the parents were shocked. Why? They didn’t know that their child was using drugs. Why? Because they never thought that it could be their kid and therefore, they weren’t watching them closely enough. They missed the very clear signs.

So…Don’t ever think…”Not my kid”!

Let me make this very clear:

I don’t care how good of a family you have, how wonderful your kids are and/or have been, that they have the best of friends, that you and they go to church every Sunday, that you have a ton of money, that your kids are straight-A students, promising athletes and on-and-on…

Drugs can, and do, victimize everyone! Even those kids and families that you would never, “in a million years”, think it could happen to.

If you truly care about and love your kids you will go out of your way to learn about drugs and the signs and symptoms of their use, and abuse. There are venues everywhere for this. It was always amazing to me that when we did free training on this, mostly for parents of school students, that only a small handful of people would show up. And these were parents who already knew that their children had problems with drug use. These are not the parents that we need to be talking too. We need to be talking to the parents who have the “not my kid” mindset and get them out of it before it becomes a problem for them.

This is a huge problem - everywhere!

This is what I tell people:

You know someone who has a drug problem! You may not know it, but you do. And, if by some chance you don’t…you will! I promise you that!

You have to catch it early

Today’s most dangerous drugs take very little consumption to create an addiction. As a result, catching it early is critical. How do you catch it early? Pay attention and know the signs!

Why is this so challenging?

Because today, we communicate with those even closest to us more via devices (text, email, chat, etc) than we do in person. Let me reiterate - even with those closest to us! Most of the signs of drug addiction are visual - you see them rather than hear them. The way the eyes look, the actions of the person, sleeping excessively, stumbling, and more. And…emotion is very difficult to determine via electronic communication - unless we desire for it to be known. When we don’t see and interact with people in-person, we miss signs.

Seeing signs also requires a deep understand of a person’s “normal”. If we have a deep understanding of what is normal, we will quickly note what is not normal.

Today’s we just don’t know people, even those closest to us, the way that we used to. We don’t know our children’s friends because now, they “technically” have hundreds and even thousands that can actually influence them. This opposed to years past, prior to social media, when they only had a handful of real influencers and we, as parents, knew who they were.

They is a lot more to this

I will continue to post on the dangers of drugs and give you everything that I can to help you avoid this very real and very dangerous problem.

For now…know your kids, know the signs, and pay attention!

Who is “The Tough Guy”

It’s the guy that talks a huge game…but has never been tested. They talk the part and even look the part. Big strong, burly guys. The guys that are professional fighters because they watch UFC on TV. They say things like “if someone comes into my house” or “if someone gets in my face” and on-and-on. But they have never once been in a physical altercation, they have never been in a situation that could result in them losing their lives, etc. I’ve seen this numerous times throughout my life and many times in law enforcement. Those that talk big games and then cannot perform, or even disappear, when a situation turns dangerous or could result in harm or death to them. Those that offer advice about what “moves” you should’ve used during an altercation and then get defeated within seconds of engaging themselves and leave you to deal with the problems that they created because they ran their mouths because they thought they were tough. Those law enforcement officers who talk a big game because they have a belt-full of tools and authority that they think will never be challenged.

Here are the points: 

• Unless you’ve been there and know that you will be able to do what is necessary, don’t be certain that you will be able to – no matter how tough you think you are.

• And, remember this, there is always someone tougher than you. Always. Or someone that is willing to do far more than you are willing to do under the circumstances. That person will beat you every time.

Avoid confrontations at all costs!

Owning a Firearm

The 2nd Amendment. The right to “keep and bear arms”. I love it and agree with it wholeheartedly - any kind of gun regardless of how it might be defined or classified and for any reason that you want to and assuming that you are a law-abiding and responsible person. The question is - are you responsible even if you are responsible?

Using a Firearm

Regardless of my beliefs on owning a firearm or, just possessing them, using them for defense is a completely different story. I do not believe that firearms are a safe way to protect ourselves nor do I believe they are needed to protect ourselves.

Here’s the bottom line:

There are very, very, very few people who should be carrying or using a firearm for defense.

And you are not likely one of them!

Please don’t take offense to this until you hear me out.

Why?

Because there are very, very, very few people who have the qualifications and skills necessary to carry one responsibly.

You see, we have an overabundance of “range pros” and most aren’t even that!

What is “The Range Pro”

Is This Guy Impressive?

Picture yourself at your local firearm range. A guy comes in, takes the lane right next to you, and begins to unpack his “range bag”. What does he have in it? Numerous different pistols, maybe a shotgun, and maybe even a rifle (depending on the range); he’s got some ammunition; some high-tech headphones that allow him to talk in normal voice while they block out the harmful noise; protective glasses; maybe some tactical or other type of gloves; targets, stapler/tape, etc.  

Now, as he points the muzzle in a safe direction, down range (rather than down) he locks the slide of each firearm back to demonstrate his understanding of safe handling and compliance with range rules, lays them on the counter, and preloads his magazines for convenience.

He attaches his target to the automatic carrier, pushes a button, and then watches it travel away from him until it gets to the ideal distance for him at which time, he releases the button and stops the target.

Next, he picks up his firearm, inserts a magazine, gets into a comfortable position, releases the slide, disengages the safety, places his finger on the trigger and……you thought I was gonna say that he starts shooting. But no, because his target is still moving back and forth because of the moment stoppage as he moved his target, he waits for it to stop moving (because the movement will detract from his accuracy) and only then does he start to shoot. Slow…controlled breathing…line up the sights…smooth trigger pull…trigger rese…and so on. He fires 8-20 rounds (firearm dependent) out of a magazine before its empty and the slide locks back.

The result? A really small, tightly clustered 1” group. WOW. Impressive! That guy is really skilled right?

Absolutely not! Anyone can do that under these circumstances. Anyone! And it doesn’t even take much practice. The other thing that is important to understand is that if this guy doesn’t practice, very regularly, even this fairly easily achieved “skill” will quickly perish.

This is the important question that needs to be asked about this “incredible level of skill”:

Does he possess the same skills when his heart rate is 175 bpm+ due to very high-level stress; can he do it under highly dynamic, dangerous, and changing circumstances; can he do it when he’s moving; can he do it when his target is moving; can he do it when both he and his target is moving; can he do it when all of these conditions exist? The answer? Absolutely, 100%, not. The most important of these conditions, the one that impacts ability the most? The elevated heart rate. How do you train for that? The answer is, it takes a lot of work, effort, time, equipment, and the right facilities to accomplish this. In general, this means law enforcement, military, and very specific professions. 

The fact is that very few have the means to acquire the physical skills but, even more importantly, the mental capacity and decision-making skills that will be necessary under the circumstances as they will be faced when they are needed. The vast majority of range pros have never been tested and have never been in a situation that could result in either physical harm or death. Even those “range pros” who can shoot fast and move, when you add the element of real danger (which cannot be simulated) you have a completely different world. That’s typically the difference between law enforcement and others – they have been in very, very high stress situations while most “range pros” have not.

And most of those who carry concealed firearms or even own them for protection within their homes, don’t even become “range pros”. They buy guns and a box of ammo, load it, and suddenly they feel safe. Reality? They are actually less safe than prior to purchasing the gun because now, they carry significantly potential for liability that is just as capable of ruining their lives as physical harm.

Here’s the lesson:

If you make a mistake in judgement, or hurt someone who you should not have hurt, the result will be as devastating to your life as if you were severely injured or maybe even killed.

• If you buy and or carry a firearm and don’t have the appropriate skills to make good decisions under high stress circumstances then you are not being responsible.

• If you want to carry or use a firearm as a defensive tool that’s completely fine. Just make sure that its an educated decision and you factor in all of the potential liabilities that come with it.

And, again, in most cases, you don’t need a firearm to win. Just learn exactly what I mean by this. A subject of the many past and future articles in The Real Security Journal.

One common mistake that people make that can make them highly vulnerable to victimization at home is talking about what they have, and conversely, don't have. 

Talking about what you have (gasoline, a generator, food, medication, etc) is broadcasting that you have things that could be considered valuable. 

Talking about what you don't have broadcasts your weaknesses and  therefore can raise your chances of being victimized. 

Remember, you only have appear to be a slightly harder target than those immediately around you!

READ NEWS ARTICLE HERE

Here are my concerns (generally):

• The fact that most of you haven't heard about this! This happens regularly and the lack of coverage contributes to complacency and the myth that crime is down. It's not!

• 15 minutes is a significant "life-or-death gap"

• Likely none of those inside of that "life-or-death gap""believed that it could happen to them"

Here are my concerns (tactically):

• Called 911

• ‘We got to hide,’ and as we were hiding, the shots got closer and closer,” Yet they changed nothing. Had the shooter gotten to them they   likely would've become resistantless victims

• Hiding behind concealment rather than cover. What's the difference?  Very simply concealment will not stop bullets, cover will. It's like the difference between hiding behind a canvas wall (concealment) and a concrete wall (cover). 

• Began calling loved ones.

THEY DID WHAT OUR SCHOOLS TEACH OUR KIDS TO DO - LOCKDOWN OR MORE ACCURATELY - HIDE AND HOPE!

THEY DIDN'T DEFEND, OR EVEN PREPARE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES! THEY DID WHAT OUR SCHOOLS TEACH OUR KIDS TO DO WHEN ATTACKED - NOTHING! WALK AWAY AND LET SOMEONE ELSE SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS! 

Without having all of the details about what happened it's difficult to break this down the way that it needs to be broken down so what I have done is based on the particular detail in this article. 

In general, these people were not prepared. These people didn't have "the foundation of the foundation"  which is "believe that it can happen". As a result, they likely did little to nothing to prepare to respond. As a result, they did what was "instinctual for those who are not prepared" - HIDE AND HOPE. 

Think about this one aspect of what they did: They began calling their loved ones to tell them that they loved them. IN ESSENCE - THEY GAVE UP AND EXPECTED TO DIE! Ask yourself this question:

Could the time that was taken to call 911 and/or their loved ones been used more effectively - like to save or prepare to attempt to save their own lives? If they were able to make phone calls then they likely could've done other, more productive things. 

Again, I don't know the answer because I wasn't there but its something to think about.

And finally, for now, these were all someone's kids whose parents likely never thought it would happen to them and therefore never taught their kids to believe that it could happen or didn't take their own safety and security seriously and therefore never taught their kids to take theirs seriously. 

We must teach our kids these life skills. 

 TAKEAWAYS: 

• BELIEVE THAT IT CAN HAPPEN

• PREPARE YOURSELF AND YOUR KIDS TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS IN FRACTIONS OF A SECOND; COUNTERINTUITIVE DECISIONS

• NEVER HIDE AND HOPE - ALWAYS BE READY TO DEFEND YOUR LIFE 

•  EVEN IF IT SEEMS HOPELESS - NEVER GIVE UP

There is so much more ability in you than you will ever realize. If we don't take steps to realize this, and make certain that our kids realize this, we will assuredly become "resistentless" victims. 

I read articles, daily, that basically congratulate individuals, products, and services that enhance safety and security, primarily in schools. The majority of them just cause me to shake my head with concern. Why? Because we just keep promoting and spending money on things that look and sound good but do little-to-nothing when it comes to really enhancing safety and security. Things that have been "generally accepted", "industry standard", and the best one is "best practices". Who exactly determines a "best practice"? Especially something that is so unique and dynamic as an act-of-violence?

We must reconsider what safety and security really mean and how to achieve it.

So, this will be a new series in which I will inform you of the problems with every solution that I find that doesn't make sense and I will explain why.

My Review of "A Navy Seal Reveals How to Survive an Active Shooter

Clint Emerson is impressive! Extremely impressive! But...does that mean everything he, or any other apparent expert tells us, is worthy of listening too or following? Does an expert in military or law enforcement tactics automatically make them an expert in everything? Can they instruct at your level? 

In this video I am reviewing Clint's advice on how to survive an active shooter. He makes many great points however, some, are just not, in my opinion, accurate and need correcting and/or more detailed explanation to be effective for you. I explain why in this review. 

Note: I am in no way criticizing him as I am nobody to be doing that. In the end, what makes most sense to you will only be determined by you however, in order to understand and make good decisions, you need as much information and as many viewpoints as possible. 

My goal is to try and improve on the excellent work that he does in this video.