| Carjacking is on the rise and you don't want to be | | | | rearview mirror for an intruder. If a carjacker really |
| the next victim. Not everybody in a vehicle is an | | | | wants your particular vehicle, he may have stalked |
| easy target, so be sure you buffer up your | | | | you to find out where you live. You may also wish to |
| protective skills to make yourself unattractive to | | | | remove any trees or bushes that flank your garage |
| violent criminals that prefer an easy hit. Although it's | | | | door area, leaving a would-be criminal no privacy to |
| the vehicle that gets stolen, the real target is often | | | | hide. |
| the driver and opportunity for the crime. | | | | 7. If you are attacked and he threatens you to get |
| 1. Park in a well lit area as close to the store or | | | | into the car, don't do it. The moment of the |
| building as possible. Although the commission of a | | | | carjacking is the primary crime scene, however, |
| carjacking can be fast and furious, you don't want to | | | | many homicides occur at the secondary location. The |
| allow the perpetrator to have any excess time to | | | | reason he wants you in the car is simple: he does not |
| approach and apprehend you. Vehicles parked in | | | | wish to fire his weapon in public and intends to kill his |
| secluded areas give the attacker a few extra | | | | victim in secret. The carjacking victim is a witness to |
| moments to scan the vicinity for witnesses and | | | | a serious crime, so be sure that he will not let you go |
| brace himself for a fight. | | | | if you get into that car. Sometimes, the victims are |
| 2. Have your keys out and the ready to go. Lingering | | | | shot dead on sight, but if you get into the car with |
| at your vehicle as you dig for your keys, cell phone | | | | him, a horrifying nightmare will follow. |
| or a stick of gum is a dangerous trap if some one is | | | | 8. Traveling alone, regardless of gender, can put |
| watching you. Even if a threatening suspect is | | | | yourself on the carjacker hit list. In today's busy life, |
| nowhere to be seen, it only takes a few seconds | | | | many of us have to travel alone to get a mountain |
| before he may spring out from behind a parked car | | | | of work and errands done, but if its possible to |
| and grab you. When it's time to get in your car, do it | | | | buddy-up, keep yourself strong with numbers. |
| with purpose and speed. | | | | 9. People transporting children must never leave the |
| 3. Lock all doors immediately, regardless of the | | | | child alone in the car, not even for a few minutes to |
| pleasant situation outside. One carjacking tactic is to | | | | load groceries into the trunk. A distracted mother is a |
| approach from the passenger door once the driver is | | | | sitting duck for criminal activity, so be sure you have |
| seated and take you away at gunpoint. The door | | | | your eye on the baby at all times. The jacker cares |
| lock needs to happen the moment the door clicks | | | | not what happens to an infant strapped into the car |
| shut, before you are belted in or start the ignition. | | | | seat, and will take the vehicle with no remorse. The |
| 4. Avoid parking next to vans with a sliding door. This | | | | safest way to enter the car is to keep your child at |
| stealth tactic is used to abduct a person or overtake | | | | your side until you are ready to get in and lock the |
| a driver at the last second before the target vehicle | | | | doors. |
| is opened. Many vans have darkly tinted windows | | | | 10. In the world today, sometimes we have to throw |
| that conceal a suspect inside, so be sure to avoid a | | | | our instinctive civility out the window. If someone |
| parking space next to the right side of a van if | | | | approaches your car, on foot or in a vehicle, be very |
| possible. | | | | cautious about talking to strangers. It is not |
| 5. If you are in a parking structure, keep your gait at | | | | appropriate for a male to approach a female for |
| a strong and steady pace, paying careful attention to | | | | directions or assistance; there's something fishy there. |
| your surroundings. People who shuffle along, look at | | | | If a person was truly in distress and in need of help, |
| the ground, or chat on the phone have a bulls-eye on | | | | he would find a police officer or go to a gas station |
| their back for the next carjacker. The jacker does | | | | for directions. A woman in high heels with groceries in |
| not want confrontation and will often prey on those | | | | her arms is taken for a target, not a good Samaritan. |
| who appear to be less of a threat than others. | | | | Ignore him, pretend you don't speak English, or go |
| 6. When you arrive home, be sure to close the | | | | back into the store at once. If a stranger is |
| garage door behind you as soon as you have pulled | | | | shadowing you, you have to get out of there now. |
| into the unit and after you have checked your | | | | |