| For crying out loud! Didn't your mother tell you NOT | | | | The bad guys come cruising through and spot the |
| TO PLAY IN THE STREET! | | | | victim. Mostly they work as a team, rarely by |
| Most people may not know this, but the Holiday | | | | themselves. One drives while the other leans out of |
| Season is PRIME TIME for CRIME! | | | | the car grabs the purse off the shoulder or from the |
| Crime can happen anytime, anywhere, but from my | | | | shopping cart and takes off! If the victim tries to |
| experience as a cop in Southwest Florida, the | | | | hold on, and most did, they get a case of parking lot |
| Thanksgiving through Christmas holidays were always | | | | road rash, or worse. |
| exceptionally active for the bad guys. I am sure all | | | | Now believe it or not, I am in this case telling you a |
| the psycho analyzers will give you all the reasons, | | | | stun gun will not help you. An AR15 assault rifle |
| from poor socioeconomic upbringing to some guys | | | | outfitted with a grenade launcher would do pretty |
| just want things and can't afford them so they take | | | | good, but you might have some collateral damage. |
| them. It's not really their fault, its society's fault. | | | | Get OUT of the STREET! |
| Yes, we were swamped with burglaries too, the bad | | | | We see this in every parking lot! Young and old, rich |
| guys doing the "reverse Santa Clause". We had a lot | | | | and poor, they walk right down the middle, slow as |
| of Armed Robberies too, mostly Restaurants! More | | | | possible, not a care in the world except how much |
| about those next time. | | | | they just spent on groceries. Get OUT of the |
| Today I want to talk about Purse snatching. | | | | STREET! |
| Some days we would work one purse snatch after | | | | If there is a way to walk between the parked cars, |
| another. During Christmas week, my department | | | | go there. If there is a way to walk as close as |
| would assign all the juvenile officers to work the | | | | possible to the other parked cars go there. KEEP |
| malls and shopping centers. | | | | your purse out of sight or away from the potential |
| Sometimes we would be on foot, sometimes in cars, | | | | reach of the bad guys. If you are walking to the |
| and several years we were assigned bikes. One year | | | | right side of the driveway, put your purse on the |
| a local scooter rental company loaned the sheriff a | | | | right shoulder, again, away from the potential reach |
| dozen red Scooters! It was better than getting flat | | | | of the snatcher. Better yet, wear you coat OVER |
| feet and we could get around quicker, but boy did | | | | the purse. again Out of sight! |
| we get laughed at! Some of us, not me, looked like | | | | Lets back up and ask, where was your purse while |
| big teddy bears dressed in green ridding little red | | | | you were in the store? Was it in shopping cart while |
| scooters. At least the colors were in the right season! | | | | you looked around? |
| OK, back to the crime at hand. Most purse snatchings | | | | This is a case of make it harder for the bad guys |
| went down like this. | | | | and they will go after easier pickings. |
| The lady would be walking to her car after shopping. | | | | Think survival! Be prepared. Don't live in fear! You will |
| She would be pushing a shopping cart full of | | | | not live in fear if you are prepared. Train yourself, |
| Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas cheer. Her purse | | | | work with a partner. Practice, think up scenarios then |
| would be slung over one shoulder or WORSE, sitting | | | | act them out so you will be prepared if you should |
| up in the child seat of the shopping cart! | | | | ever be confronted. With practice and preparedness, |
| And still worse, she would be walking right down the | | | | you will survive and NOT live in fear. |
| middle of the parking lot driving lane! | | | | |