Foreman’s Forum – A.D.D.: Three Tactics A Criminal Will Use

There are three techniques that criminals consistently use against their victims to subdue or incapacitate them so they can take what they want. Some bad guys might only need to use one technique, while the truly talented ones may use all three. I’m going to call them A.D.D., which stands for Ambush, Distract, and Disparity of force; be on the lookout for them. Hopefully if you are aware of them, you can avoid being a victim and having them used against you.

Ambush. This means to lie in wait for, to attack by surprise, or to lay a trap for. The bad guys have the advantage of choosing the location of an attack. Just as a deer hunter carefully selects the location of his deer stand, experienced criminals do not randomly choose their victim, time, or location of attacks. A thug planning to rob you of your purse or wallet is not a random act of violence. These criminals have a reason when they chose a certain location, time, or victim. The reason is because doing so helps them in the commission of their crime.

For instance, just this past week I was sitting in my truck at a local bank waiting for my wife who was inside making a house payment. My truck has a huge red, white, and blue bald eagle on the doors with the words “Firearms Training” in big gold letters. While I was sitting there, a man came out of the bank with a smile on his face and said to me “I guess nobody is going to rob this place with you sitting here. No self-respecting criminal is going to pick this location to rob!”

A successful ambush is accomplished when one or more conditions tip in favor of the attacker. The most valuable of these conditions are the element of surprise and the physical condition of the victim. Simply put, the bad guy knows if you can’t see him coming and can’t run from him, he can take and do whatever he wants and leave. He doesn’t have to risk getting into a fight with you and getting caught.

Distract. Criminals will use this technique to divert your full attention from being aware of the danger, especially if you are just trying to be courteous. Not all thieves pretend to ask for the time or for directions. A typical distraction might be when the bad guy is asking for help, saying his car is broken down. The smart ones know how to pretend to be a good person just like you and me long enough to disguise their intentions and distract us from the dangerous situation we don’t even know we are facing.

Disparity of force. This is a decided physical or armed advantage over another. In self-defense, a violent aggressor’s power to kill or cripple an innocent person is commonly referred to as ability. All three elements—ability, opportunity and jeopardy—must be present in order to establish that use of deadly force to defend yourself is justified by law. A young child with a stick standing fifty yards away, does not meet the “deadly force” requirement needed to defend yourself with a firearm. But, if one or more attackers who are bigger, stronger and possibly armed confront you when you are smaller, and weaker, that shows a clear disparity of force. No matter what tools of defense an individual has for protecting themselves in the event of attack, it is the attacker who has the advantage and, therefore, the disparity of force.

This is true for at least two reasons. First, the criminal not only has the advantage of using whatever weapon he has, he aloso knows when and where the attack will occur. The bad guy will probably be able to get in the first blow. Second, no self-respecting thug will attack someone that can easily defend themselves. For a man to successfully overpower most women, he needs nothing more than his advantages of weight, speed, size, and strength.
If you are familiar with ambush and distraction strategies (which usually will happen before the element of disparity), you will be able to read warning signs that add up to danger. Knowing the signs, you can refuse to be the easy prey the bad guys are seeking. Just knowing how to shoot a gun will NOT make you attack proof. Get proper training in self defense techniques and how to safely and properly use your firearm.
By: Paul Foreman