Could you be Carjacked?

How To Keep Yourself Safe

Carjacking

This post is definitely not up beat or entertaining it is informative.  Yesterday while I was at the hairdressers I read an article about a woman who was carjacked while waiting for her husband outside of Walmart.  I read the story and remember taking comfort in the fact that this incident happened in the USA.  In my world view Canada was safer and this type of thing just did not happen in my community.

This morning driving to work Crime Stoppers came on the radio asking for any information the public had about an attempted carjacketing AT THE CROSS ROAD OF THE STREET THAT I LIVE ON.   

Crystal Meth is a problem all over and in discussing this incident at work everyone believes that the perpetrator of this crime must have been high on meth.  Crystal Meth provides the user with a euphoria high and they believe they can do anything. 

In the incident in our community the driver was stopped at a red light, had his window down and his arm resting on the window sill.  The attacker grabbed his arm and attempted to pull him out of the car.  The driver got away by accelerating across the intersection.  In the magazine article the woman was forced to drive around with her abductor for over an hour and used her cell phone to call for help.

So how do we keep ourselves and our loved ones safe in this type of situation? 

I have included two links to reliable sources please take the time to read this information.  It is important that we all accept that we can be victims of this type of crime and knowing how to keep yourself and loved ones safe is key:

1)      Keep your car in good working order

2)    Always travel with a cell phone in easy reach

3)     Always put parcels, purses in the truck – keep your vehicle clean

4)    Always travel with doors locked windows up.

5)     You are not the best person to offer help – drive on and call the police.

6)    If you have children in the car let the attacker know this

7)     Give the car up

8)  Have family phone numbers on speed dial and

9)  Have a code word that your family knows that will let them know instantly that you need police.

Ryerson University Crime Prevention Tips

 United State Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security

 Our world is ever changing, sometimes for the better and sometimes not.  To deny real danger and be unprepared is foolishness in my opinion.  To hide behind a belief that God will not let this happen to you  - well that means that you blame all of the believers who have been visited by crime for their own victimization.

We all owe it to those that we love to take this seriously, to read the safety tips provided to us and to go on and live happy active optimistic lives.

Carla and I with our father Walter many years ago

Grandma Snyder