The following are some of the safety Tips to avoid being victimized by criminals:
- Avoid carrying large amounts of cash or valuables. These may boost your ego, unfortunately, the practice also multiplies your chances of being robbed. Several times over.
- Avoid walking alone especially at night, unless absolutely necessary. Robbers are discouraged if you have company.
- Stay near people but steer away from drunks and groups of suspicious-looking people who could be threats to dignity, life and personal property. If you pass by them, ignore their snide or sharp remarks.
- Stay in well-lighted areas and routes with uninterrupted pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Risk of being caught by a mob and / or being identified in lighted places; deter most would-be-robbers.
- Avoid dark alleys, bushy pathways shortcuts through parks with lush shrubbery, vacant lots and other deserted places
- Don't wander alone from the crowd at picnics or outings. Stay within calling distance.
- Make a mental accounting of the contents of your bag and wallet so you could identify them when you fall victim to a thief or robber and the police recovers your personal effects
- Try to have presence of mined and remember the description of the thief when victimized. This way, you help the police catch him and probably recover your valuables.
- Avoid putting your handbag on counters when shopping. Doing so is an irresistible invitation to thieves.
- Keep your bag close to your body while inside cinema houses, churches shopping centers and markets as well as when walking in crowded areas. This encourages snatchers, pickpockets and bag-slathers.
- Be armed with a whistle with which to get help during emergencies
- Stay alert while riding in public transportation. Look out for snatchers when seated near the windows of public conveyances or a car.
- Don't give a hold upper any information; give only what he asks you
- Don't' resist an armed hold upper; he is dangerous. To be safe, follow his instructions.
- Leave the hold-up scene unobtrusively and raise an alarm outside, if possible and safe
- Take note of get-away vehicle used. If possible, note down the plate number; model; type; make; and color, and the direction it drove away etc.
- Don't disturb the area where the hold up was committed, to help the police Fingerprints should be preserved
- Take note of peculiarities of hold uppers such as moles, tattoos, manners of speech, physical defects
- Take down the name, plate and body number of the taxicab right after boarding it
- Don't allow the taxi driver to decide which route to take
- Don't accept riders from or hitch-a-ride with strangers
- Install a warning device in your vehicle which may alert police when you are being held-up/robbed
