Undoubtedly, if you are ever approached or attacked, you will want to call the police and try to get the slimeball arrested. Please report all crimes. I feel that it is our moral obligation to the rest of society. If you let him off the hook now, he will probably be attacking someone else tomorrow. Not surprisingly, he will probably have prior arrests. Cops need more "paper" on the bad guys so the district attorney can convince the judge to do something to get this predator off the streets.

But the cops have no idea who to get, unless you can provide a solid description.

Describing someone or something is a skill that can be developed. Your awareness level will be increasing as you practice and train so you will notice more. Because of your training, your mind will be calm, you won't panic and you'll have plenty of time to capture the pertinent details.

The best way to train yourself to describe someone is to have a system.

Cops are used to providing descriptions, and having descriptions given to them by dispatchers, from the most general characteristics to the more specific.

Dividing the human race into either sex would seem to be the most general, but the first item is usually race, nationality or color. The second item is gender.

Next are three items which can be difficult to estimate unless you practice -- height, weight and age. Forget the old movie line, "medium height and medium weight". What does that mean? It can be completely different depending on what different people consider "medium". You will need to be more specific. Try to compare them to other men you know. Is he very tall? Then he's over 6 feet. Is he short? About your height?

Is he built like your brother who weighs about 175 pounds? Is he fat, thin, muscular? Look at the officer you are talking to. Is he bigger, smaller, taller, shorter than him?

Age can be difficult to estimate, but what we are really looking for here is a gauge to at least get the general idea. If he is under 14-years-old he is a "juvenile". "Eighteen-years old" would describe an older teen, while " 25- to 30- years-old" describes a young adult. Obviously, if you describe someone as "over 50" the cops won't waste time with someone who looks 30.

Now, to more specific physical characteristics. Move from the top down.

First is hair. Color is relatively easy. Length is not. Long hair to me might seem like medium length hair to you. Try to describe it so someone else can visualize it. Is it short like a crewcut? Like a military hair cut? it off the ears, but more like a businessman's? is it over the ears, but not down to his shoulders? Can you see how difficult it can be? Sometimes it's better to describe it as looking like someone that most everybody has seen. Is it short on the sides, but long in the back like Billy Ray Cyrus? It his head shaved like Michael Jordan?

Facial hair is next. Mustache? Beard? Clean shaven or unshaven.

Forget about eye color, you probably can't remember it and the cops can't see eye color from the patrol car anyway.

Now to complete a quick description, you'll need to provide the information on what he is wearing. Again, from the top down.

A hat? Did it say anything on it, like "Chicago Bulls" or "No Fear"?

Now his shirt or jacket. Color is first (remember the most general first) then what kind it is. Is it a t-shirt or a golf shirt? It is a button down dress shirt or a big baggy pullover with a pocket on the front? Did it have any printing on it? Is it more like a work shirt or a cowboy's shirt?

Describe his pants. Unfortunately, it seems like 90 percent of the time I hear broadcasts from dispatchers that the suspects are wearing blue jeans or "dark pants". Little help there. See if you can be more specific.

Shoes are next. White and purple basketball high tops or black, polished wingtips? Dirty grey Nike running shoes or brown leather cowboy boots?

Now the cops have a quick overview of someone they are looking for.

It would sound something like this:

"White male, five-foot, ten-inches, 160 pounds. 25-years-old. Dark brown crewcut with three-day old beard. Pale yellow button down, long-sleeved Oxford cloth shirt over blue jeans".

If you have anything which can be more specific, use it. Sometimes it is the little detail which can make the difference for a positive I.D.

One easy way to remember the type of information you need is the acronym CYMBLS:

C: Color

Y: Year

M: Make or model

B: Body style (i.e. coupe, four-door, hatchback)

L: License plate

S: State from which the plate is issued.

Getting all of this information can be difficult during a stressful situation, however. Most importantly, train yourself to get the license plate number. Then, get a look at the driver (you'll probably have to identify him in court since a car can't commit a crime). Then, it is usually good enough to describe a vehicle in general terms going to specifics as you can get them, e.g. "An old black Camaro with wide tires, really loud muffler, and with primer grey paint on the passenger side."

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