In most cases, the phony cop won’t be wearing a full uniform, and his vehicle won’t be a standard “marked” Police car. The “phony” Officer may drive a dark colored Chrysler, Chevrolet, or Ford with a hand held spotlight and a dashboard mounted revolving beacon light. Update: Aftermarket sirens and and lights similar to those used by Police are easily purchased and installed. Retailers have no problem selling these items to anyone who’s interested, and unless you open the hood and know what to look for, there’s no way to tell that it’s been installed.
In addition to the three precautions previously discussed, I would only add one other: Know your local Police! When you drive past someone who’s been pulled over, (carefully) take a moment to note the color and make of the Police car, the type of license plate it carries, the uniform being worn, or the manner in which the plainclothes Officer is dressed and equipped. If you have any questions about how the Officers in your town or County administer traffic stops, don’t hesitate to call them with specific questions, and be prepared to take notes. Chicago is very proactive in meeting with citizens through beat meetings, and programs such as ”Kids and Cops”.
My Brother, Darryl Wallace, has been an Officer with the Chicago Police Department for 18 years, (Police Explorer Post #9304), and mentors young people age 8-20. Their workshops include self-esteem building, conflict resolution, anti-drug education, teen dating, and field trips to various locations. Knowledge pertaining to all of these subjects should be considered of critical importance to our children as they progress from childhood, through adolescence, and into adulthood.
Highways- Disabled Vehicles
Many stranded motorists accept rides from good samaritans without incident, but is it really worth risking your safety? Instead, remain in your locked vehicle and use your cell phone or a built-in vehicular system such as “On Star” to call for assistance. You may have to wait longer for help to arrive, but you’ll avoid tense moments of riding with a stranger, and then wondering if you’ve made a fatal mistake.
Highways-Hitchhikers
If you care about your safety, remember these two things:
1.) Don’t pick up hitchhikers.
2.) Don’t try hitchiking yourself.
Example: In the Summer of 1979 a 21 year old soldier tried hitchhiking from a Southern Illinois truck stop to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, after his car broke down. The trucker who agreed to give the soldier a ride charged him twenty of his last thirty dollars. The soldier was dropped off at 3:00 a.m. in East St. Louis, Illinois, a town which at that time was infamous for its’ high crime rate. Fortunately, the soldier had been raised in a tough urban environment, had completed Basic Combat Training and had served a 12 month tour in Germany. He was able to convey, via body language and alertness, that anyone who approached him with evil intentions would pay a hell of a price for their efforts. The soldier sent one creepy dude this message after watching this urban predator approach from two blocks away. When the predator was one block away he stopped, took a long, long, look at the soldier, and decided to try for easier prey.
While still maintaining a high level of Security Awareness, I was able to get a taxi to the local bus station without further incident.
Highways-Rest Stops
To avoid being robbed or otherwise victimized at rest stops I recommend that at least one person should stay awake while sitting in the drivers seat while the other passengers sleep or use the restroom facilities. If the area is mostly empty and another vehicle arrives and parks within say 20-30 feet of your car, consider moving your car further away from the new arrival. If it appears that the new arrival seems intent upon moving closer to your vehicle or wants to engage you in conversation, be prepared to either leave the area, or put your foot down with a phrase such as “That’s close enough friend, what can I do for you?” If you feel very strongly that someone in a rest stop just plain gives you the willies, remember what their vehicle looked like, and get its’ license plate number if possible. If you see them again during your trip or need to alert the authorities you’ll be able to provide them with solid information to work with. I do not recommend the use of rest stops, or just stopping by the side of the road to take a nap for persons who are traveling alone. Stopping at a good motel is well worth the added expense in that situation.
City Driving-Entering the Vehicle
Here is one way to be better prepared when entering your vehicle, whether you’re leaving a mall during daytime or leaving home at night to work the midnight shift. As soon as you step outside of the building that you’re departing from, stop and look around. Ideally, you should be parked close enough to the building that you’re leaving, to be able to see your vehicle. I personally tend to park closer to a stores’ exit upon arrival, in order to minimize my exposure to potential threats when leaving the store with a shopping cart or several bags in hand. I always look for persons sitting in a parked vehicle (near the place where I’d parked), for no apparent reason. They could just be waiting for a passenger, or waiting for a potential victim. I tend to give them just enough of my gaze to indicate, “Yes, I see you, and I’m not the least bit worried. “I’m confident and ready”. In a mall, you can ask a Security Officer to escort you to your car, or watch you until you’re safely in your vehicle. When leaving the home of a friend or relative, ask someone to watch while you enter your car. (If you’re carrying a bag or other bulky items, try to carry these things in your “weaker” hand. Find your cars’ door key and carry it in a “ready to use” position in your “stronger” hand. Watch out for persons slowly walking in a direction which will have them cross your path or have them walking directly towards you as you go to your car.
Criminals will often use a tactic whereby one person will walk across your path, or directly towards you, and this person will stop suddenly, and will do or say something to distract you. Then the second crook will pop up behind or along side you with a weapon of some sort, or to administer a choke hold. Once caught in this situation, you only have three choices, either submit, escape, or fight!
One night in the mid 1980’s after leaving my home, I started walking towards the sidewalk in front of my house. I was on my way to a local store or restaurant for something. Just as I reached the sidewalk, I noticed that two men were walking from my left to my right. One was on my side of the street, and the other guy was across the street. Sensing that something wasn’t right about their movement pattern, I stopped suddenly and snapped my fingers, (pretending that I’d just remembered something), and turned around, re-entering my place long before either guy was within 10 yards of my home. I entered my building, left the lights off, and carefully looked out the window to check on them. They slowly walked a few yards past my building, and then met in the middle of the street. It became apparent to me that they had intended to rob someone. The plan was to have one guy approach anyone walking alone on “his” side of the street, and engage that person in conversation as a distraction, or simply announce a robbery. Once that happened, the second guy would quickly cross the street and reinforce the threat, delivering a one-two punch to an unsuspecting victim. Because I noticed something unusual early on, and immediately took myself out of harms way, their plan dissolved before they could spring the trap on me. They had probably been successful using this technique in the past, and had to take a moment to figure out what had gone wrong. Because no actual crime had been attempted, it didn’t make sense to notify the Police just to tell them about something that “almost” happened.
City Driving-General Information
In 1994, the original version of this book stated:
All car doors should remain locked during city driving. Only the drivers’ window may be rolled all the way down, the others should be rolled down no more than 3 inches. “Do not leave wallets, purses, expensive coats or other valuables in plain view!” In the summer of 2011 Chicago experienced a wave of vehicle break-ins in public parking lots along the shore of Lake Michigan. The thieves primarily targeted global positioning devices