It all started when our patrol division caught three armed robbers in the act. This trio had been hitting convenience stores all over the metroplex area, and it was quite a catch for our uniformed division. My involvement came about when one of the crooks gave a written confession and even agreed to be interviewed by our Crime Prevention unit.
Accordingly, we drove this fellow around town getting him to critique the various convenience stores from an armed robber’s perspective. He showed us some stores where one could park the getaway car in the dark on the end of the building virtually out of sight. Other stores had a large cooler holding bags of ice in such a location that the guys could use it for concealment while putting on their ski masks. He showed us other stores that had so many posters on the glass front that you really couldn’t see what was going on inside. All of which was very interesting, and was valuable information that we could go to the store managers and suggest they get corrected at little, or no, expense.
But there was one store that he said they wouldn’t hit because of the night clerk. He described the middle-aged male clerk as a “cowboy.” What he meant was that this was the kind of clerk who caused problems for armed robbers. First of all, this guy would actually look at you and greet you when you walked into the store; looking at you in a way that meant he would probably be able to describe and recognize you later. Our crook also said that this was usually the kind of guy who kept a gun under the counter which, in this case, was exactly right. So this store had been avoided simply because one man looked like a hard target.
My point for armed citizens is that we should all give thought to how we look and act in regards to giving the impression that we are a hard target. While it is usually a mistake to go around acting like we are Wyatt Earp Junior, it is an excellent idea to give the appearance of being alert and unafraid. With some thought and practice, we can do this while still being polite and soft spoken. You stand erect with your head on a swivel and if you have any fears, you keep them to yourself. It would also be a good idea to be dressed in a manner that is appropriate to the time and occasion; keeping in mind that how we dress speaks to our personal pride and confidence.
Finally, I would point out that these crooks looked at this night clerk and assumed that he would be armed. They may very well look at you the same way. Hopefully this will encourage them to avoid contact. But, if they do press the assault, you should be aware of this and be ready and willing to act accordingly to ruin their day if at all possible.
What message does your appearance and conduct give off to those around you? What can you do to improve that image and, thereby, possibly avoid a criminal attack?
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