You Are in Charge
of Your Own Personal Safety
You are in charge of you. It is that simple.
Police aren't required to protect
you. In Warren v. District of Columbia (1981), the D.C. Court
of Appeals ruled, "official police personnel and the government employing
them are not generally liable to victims of criminal acts for failure to
provide adequate police protection . . . a government and its agents are under
no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any
particular citizen." In Bowers v. DeVito (1982), the Seventh
Circuit Court of Appeals ruled, "[T]here is no constitutional right to be
protected by the state against being murdered by criminals or
madmen."
Do not put your family in jeopardy waiting for help to
arrive. Consider these items:
Start
with a plan. See my article entitled “What Stuff Should you include in a Family
Action Plan” and “What Stuff Should be in a Safe Room”.
In an
emergency, you have enough to do. Think through all the scenarios with your
family. You will be surprised what the littlest member will come up with. Use
this window into their world to find out what worries them.
Get the
training you need. My students ask for first aid and defensive training. What
else do you need to increase your confidence and you abilities?
Make the
landscaping of your home an aid to your security. See my article entitled “Landscape
to Enhance the Security of Your Home”.
Work with
the neighborhood watch group or consider starting one.
Ask the
police or sheriff what information they need when you call about an emergency.
Law enforcement agencies hate responding to unknown incidents.
If you follow these
ideas, you will increase your chances for a successful outcome to a very trying
and stressful event.
Remember: You
are in charge so make it count for you and for your family.