Newsletter for January 2005

Inside this issue:

Developing a Tactical Mind-Set
The Code of the Streets
Mall Security Growing More Vigilant Against Terrorism
How to Get Fired from an Executive Protection Job
New Colorado Law to Help Quell Road Rage, Congestion
Statistics, Staschmistics
Bringing a Gun to a Fist Fight Revisited

"If you stick with the basics, you never have to go back to them."

Anonymous

Developing a Tactical Mind-Set

"Even a man who lives in a very hostile environment rarely faces more than two or three deadly confrontations in his life.  The problem really becomes one of situational awareness, of actually knowing when a fight is either in progress or about to start.  A properly conditioned mind and a fighting attitude will go far in this department.

"The first step is the realization that everybody in the world is not a polite, hard-working patriot like you.  There are predators out there in the concrete jungle, just as in any jungle.  These predators have no regard for your life, your family, or your possessions.  They will kill you for the Rolex watch on your arm with as much afterthought as they'd give to eating a cheeseburger.  They will cut off your child's finger just to steal her ring.  They will not show you or your family any mercy, so do not expect any...or give any.

"The second step in the mental development of a non-victim is the willingness to defend oneself when offered violence.  An old gunfighter once said that it wasn't enough to be accurate or fast, one had to be willing.  Simply stated, you must be willing to kill any man who would harm you or your family.  You must be willing to offer greater violence for violence offered.  That attitude must precede all else, so develop it."

Gabe Suarez

The Code of the Streets

To Mr. Suarez' point above, take a look at the example below of how savage street rats can be.

In Milwaukee in 2002, a mob of youths used everything from broomsticks to strollers to bludgeon a man to death, then wandered through the neighborhood to get rid of evidence before going home to eat chicken.

The horrific beating death of Charlie Young Jr., 36, was an example of the complete lack of mercy that Suarez was talking about.

Young confronted a youth that had hit him with an egg.  The confrontation escalated to where Young hit the teen in the mouth, knocking out a tooth.   

Word spread in the neighborhood of the incident and a group gathered, attacking Young with metal poles and 2x4s and other objects.  They dragged him onto the porch and continued pounding on him, stomping on his head.

 A 16-year-old told police how he jumped back each time he struck Young with a shovel handle so the blood wouldn't get on his clothes. Eventually, the shovel handle split in two as he bashed Young over the head with it.  He said he stopped on his way home to lift up a sewer cover and dump his shoes below. Two brothers say they went home together and ate fried chicken as they watched TV.

One of the boys said he held Young in a wrestling move he learned on Smackdown Wrestling, called a "cripple cross face hold," so the others could beat Young in the face. (The youngest member of the group arrested was 13 years old.)

We could take a huge tangent here and talk about dealing with multiple attackers, but in keeping with the subject matter, it reminds us of the importance of developing a tactical mind-set.

With gangs, there is a code that says that no insult can be ignored or left unanswered.  And an “insult” can be where you go, what you wear, what you say, even how loudly you play your car stereo.

Tips for surviving the rough streets in your area:

•  
• If you hear gunfire, drop to the ground and get away from windows;
• Don't wear blue and red;
• Wear black or gray; neutral colors that will not attract attention;
• Don’t wear loud colors that draw attention;
• Don’t wear expensive athletic shoes;
• Don’t wear jewelry;
• Don’t take side streets;
• Stay on major thoroughfares;
• Don’t stare at someone or look too hard at them;
• Watch your slang in certain neighborhoods;
• Don’t play your car stereo too loud so that it might drown out someone else’s;
• Don’t get out of your car until there are no vehicles moving on the street;
• Don’t stand around on street corners or on sidewalks in front of parties.
•  

Mall Security Growing More Vigilant Against Terrorism

In some circles, the mall security guard used to be regarded as somewhat of a joke.

But now, with counterterrorist officials looking at intelligence which indicates that terrorists could be planning to attack shopping centers and malls in America, the mall security guard might be one of the stalwarts of Homeland Security.  Anti-terrorism instructors say a bombing is nearly twice as likely at a commercial establishment than a government building or military facility.

And why not?  Many of us and our families spend a great deal of time in those public spaces that could be defined as a shopping mall.   And local police forces are undermanned and overworked with the reach of those Reservists and National Guard members currently deployed abroad.

Some of the training includes spotting suicide bombers.  Part of the curriculum includes blast patterns and behavior profiles, how a bomb is packaged and how a bomber is recruited.

These suburban security forces are receiving the type of training that just a few years ago was reserved for the Israeli police and the U.S. military.

"If they're carrying a bag, look for that white-knunckle grip," Patrick Chagnon, a Connecticut State Police detective and national counterterrorism instructor. "Remember that white-knuckle grip, they're carrying that package and they're holding onto it for dear life."

Israel has been dealing with suicide attacks for years. There, mall security guards, bus drivers and hotel managers are added eyes and ears for the police.

The U.S. Office of Domestic Preparedness, the training arm of the Homeland Security Department, opened its first suicide bombing class in New Mexico. Already, 239 police and rescue workers have completed the course and thousands more are expected to take it in 2005.

"Five years ago, it was unheard of that a law enforcement agent would go to private security agency and provide that level of training," Chagnon said. "But law enforcement is forced now to go out, not just into private industry, but into the public and train them."

How to Get Fired from an Executive Protection Job

It has just come to light this month that "misconduct and abuse of power" in Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's bodyguard unit is forcing reforms and changes.

Nine bodyguards -- all Illinois State troopers -- have been transferred out of the protection unit and back to frontline police duties.    One of those transferred out is accused of "exceeding safe speed" and causing a multi-vehicle pile up after clipping a Volkswagen while driving between 80 and 90 miles an hour on the shoulder.

An outside investigation revealed:

• Officers with the unit had no bodyguard experience or training;
• At least one instance of officers drinking on the job;
• An officer lost his duty weapon while watching a boxing match;
• Officers allowed friends and family members to use official police vehicles;
• Officers rang up $23,000 in hotel bills;
• The three officers in charge of the unit were accused of the most misconduct.

Policy changes include a new code of conduct for the executive protection agents that addresses on-the-job behavior, spells out prohibited behavior and mandates professional-level training.

Can you imagine that?  The State of Illinois has to tell the governor's protection officers to get proper training and behave in a professional manner while on the job?   Sheesh!

"Security is mostly a superstition.  It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it."

Helen Keller

New Colorado Law to Help Quell Road Rage, Congestion

A new state law in Colorado in effect starting Jan. 1 makes it a fineable offense to drive in the far left lane, except when passing, on any multilane highway where the speed limit is 65 MPH or faster.

Lawmakers hope the law will cut down on road rage and congestion.  According to State Trooper Sara Shipley, when stopped, some drivers admit to intentionally driving under the speed limit in the left lane in an effort to prevent others from speeding.

"They don't need to be playing police," she said.  "That's not their job."  She added that slow drivers in the left lane can cause tailgating and road rage.

The exception for the law is during rush hour.  Fines are about $70 for the infraction.

If you are able to drive on Germany's famous Autobahn, you will see how good lane discipline allows traffic to flow smoothly despite having a mix of slow, medium and super fast drivers (like 125 MPH+!) on the road.  Traffic laws are very strict in Germany and you'll be ticketed and fined for driving slow in the fast lane as well as for tailgating.

This new law in Colorado bears watching by other states as a way to cut down on road rage.

Statistics, Staschmistics

A new study out by the Education and Justice departments reports that violent crime against students in schools fell by 50 percent from 1992 to 2002, with young people more often targeted for violence away from school.

There were about 24 crimes of rape, sexual assault, robbery and physical assault for every 1,000 students in 2002, down from 48 per 1,000 a decade earlier.

The report found students are more apt to be victims of violence outside schools.

However, many say the report is seriously flawed and seriously underreports crime because it relied on limited surveys and self-reporting instead of tracking actual reported crimes.  These are some of the reasons why it is difficult to rely on reports, studies and statistics.  Two others that are huge -- poor design or execution of the study and manipulation of data for political, PR or funding reasons.

The bottom line is that you must be eternally vigilant when  it comes to security and personal protection.  Remember, you have to be good at it all the time because the bad guys only have to be lucky once.
 

Bringing a Gun to a Fist Fight Revisited

The Self-Defense Questions page at Defend University features a new question by a gentleman who says the bad guys should be blamed if they want to attack him -- and he's armed and the bad guy isn't!  Unfortunately, the courts don't look kindly on using deadly force against unarmed individuals.  Check out why you need to train with all of your other self-defense options!

Go here if you want to access the newsletter archives.

Brad Parker, Defend University