It’s dark and late, and you’re walking to your car. You see a person pull a driver out of their car at gun point. What should you do? Call the police. But then what? What is your responsibility at this point? This is a scene that occurs way too often, and nothing seems to be done.
The best thing you can do at this point is to be the best witness that the police can have. First, make sure you are in a safe area. Once safe, then get as good a description of the criminal as possible. Things that you need to report are size, sex, and any distinguishing features of the criminal. Note which way the person went and how the victim is doing. These situations are always hard to get involved in, and we’ve been told not to get involved for too long. It’s time for those days to go away.
We now live in a world where you have to constantly be aware of your surroundings because of criminals, and we are becoming outnumbered. Now we need to watch out for each other. The first thing people will want to point out is that’s why we pay the police officers. The police cannot be everywhere, and rarely, through no fault of their own, can they do anything to prevent a crime.
The responsibility for your safety and security is yours. Not only is it your responsibility to protect yourself, you should take on the responsibility for helping protect those around you if you are able. If you saw a child playing on the swings and fell, wouldn’t you go and help? What if you saw an auto accident; wouldn’t you stop to help? All I am saying is to extend your sphere of protection a little bit.
We hear commercials for home security systems. We hear people that advocate for the safe use of guns in the home. None of these things makes a difference if you don’t take matters into your own hands and take the necessary moves to protect yourself. It comes down to this simple question: Are you prepared? Are you prepared to defend your home against anything? And, I do mean anything: fire, intruders, and safety issues alike. It is not the fire department’s responsibility to make sure you do not leave your iron on, so why do people think it is the police department’s responsibility to keep you safe?
I am in no way saying that the police aren’t doing their job, but there is a limit as to what they can do and when they can arrive to help. These men and women work long, hard hours and put their lives on the line every day. Yet, some people think that the police are there to take care of every little thing. We laugh when we hear the 9-1-1 calls that come from the person waiting in line because the restaurant ran out of a menu item. Let’s quit depending on our police officers for our every security need. It’s time to take responsibility for yourself, your family, and your friends/neighbors.
By: Brian Black, Operations Manager of Madison Security Group
203 US Highway 31 South, Athens, Alabama 35611
