Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 2
Awareness
WE LIVE IN A DANGEROUS WORLD. You don't need anyone to tell
you that. The goal of keeping yourself safe and free from harm
seems to be almost impossible to achieve. Even the most cautious and
security-conscious individuals sometimes get injured or killed. There are
no guarantees. However, while safety cannot be guaranteed, it can be dra-
matically enhanced. All that is necessary for someone to improve his or
her chances of avoiding danger is to learn a few basic rules of personal
security. It is not as difficult as you might think. Learning to be aware of
your surroundings, combined with prior planning and some common
sense, is actually the biggest part of the job. Your familiarity of your own
environs is your best defense against unforeseen danger. The first step is
to teach yourself to become more observant of your surroundings and to
appreciate the significance of the things you see. Doing this gives you a
significant advantage over those who would do you harm.
Police officers and federal agents are taught observational skills, as are
professional security officers. Virtually every law enforcement academy
teaches its students how to be observant and what to look for. Law enforce-
ment personnel scrutinize their environment. Their eyes are always moving
and taking stock of what is going on around them. Law enforcement offi-
cers refer to this as having “cop's eyes,” which merely means having the
ability to observe the immediate environment and draw appropriate con-
clusions from those observations. An experienced police officer notices the
unusual: things that look out of place, such as an unfamiliar car parked
in a particular neighborhood or someone wearing an overcoat in warm
weather. This skill is an absolute necessity for anyone in police work. It is
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