Prepare for crime, don't be a victim

Firearms have been a hot topic in the news in recent weeks because of more shootings, and this past week another school attack took place when a student from the University of California, Merced, stabbed several people with a hunting knife before being shot by police. One article reported that a student of the university by the name of Alex Lopez said, "You see this stuff all over the news and stuff and you see it happen to all these other schools, but you don't expect it to happen at your school."

It can be easy to hear about events on the news and think, "That stuff doesn't happen around here," but I would guess that in just about every place that has had a tragic event like this, people thought the same thing as Alex Lopez. When I first started driving, I rarely locked my car when I was in town. In my mind that was something you did in the "big city." It was common for people to not even lock their homes when they were gone. But sadly, we no longer live in that same world. Many people no longer respect other people's property and they no longer value human life. No one likes to think about tragedy taking place in their own backyard, but just like in the emergency response field, you must be prepared. I like to say, "we train for the worst as we hope for the best," but that type of thinking should not be limited to law enforcement.

I help teach some CCW classes and I always stress in the class that you cannot assume you will not need to protect yourself if you are just going to be "around town." The first year I was a police officer, I took my gun everywhere with me. I made sure I was always prepared, except for that one time .... I was working on a construction project when I decided to take a break and run to the gas station for a drink. I was just running to the gas station so I left my gun, badge, and handcuffs behind. Life likes to throw us the unexpected and when we are not prepared is when we often find we should have been. On the way back from the gas station, I ran right into a wanted person we had been looking for over the last several months. A drug dealer, thief, and someone who had assaulted many people and was known to carry a gun. As soon as this person saw me they started running, and just like cops tend to do without thinking, I chased. It was not until he ran into an abandoned trailer park and into one of the trailers that I realized I did not have my gun on me. I was not prepared! The suspect did not know I was not prepared, and luckily did not want to find out; so he was taken into custody without incident, but things could have gone much worse.

Being prepared does not always mean carrying a gun for protection, and it may not always mean just being prepared against physical danger. There are things we can do every day to help make sure we are prepared, and that we are not the victim. The first and most simple thing is to be observant. We respond to lots of calls where the suspect to a crime was in plain view, but no one noticed anything that stood out. Where do your kids play, whose house are they going to, and who will be there with them? Locking your home and car doors, placing your name and phone number somewhere with your small child so it can be found if the child wanders off, installing outside lights, or cameras on your home, watching your bank account for unusual transactions and reporting them to your bank right away, having a first aid kit in your home and car .... The list goes on and on. Being proactive and being prepared in today's world is something we must all do. Even though we hope for the best, we must always be prepared!