Enhancing personal safety in the face of rising crime

Professor Oluyemi Mashama, a Master Instructor of Defense and Arrestive Tactics at the Caribbean Institute of Safety and Security, recently shared valuable insights with Altos on how individuals can protect themselves and increase their awareness of potential threats.

Professor Mashama stressed that personal safety goes beyond simply following a list of tips. He emphasised the need for a fundamental shift in attitudes and behaviours, stating, “The biggest thing we have to do is deal with our behavioural patterns, our attitudes towards what is happening in our country. It’s happening, it’s here. We need to adapt, we need to train, we need to develop.”

Mashama introduced the concept of personal safety as an art, with the acronym ART standing for Attitude, Responsibility, and Trust. He explained, “Our attitude is very important. And one of the things that deals with the attitude also is what we do in the environment. How do we now change the attitude of the perpetrators to not want to have to come at us in that way?”

Regarding responsibility, Mashama said that safety is a collective effort: “The responsibility falls on all of us. All of us are citizens. We are responsible for our safety, our security in different areas.”

Practical awareness and responsibility

Professor Mashama provided several concrete examples of how to practise awareness and responsibility, especially while driving:

Situational Awareness: “Most of the times when what the criminals work on is the fact that they know that we are tired. Sometimes it’s after work, sometimes you’re just stressed out with something. So, your whole situational awareness is off from that point of view,” Mashama explained. He reminded the public to always be aware of  surroundings, even on familiar routes.

Vehicle Preparedness: Mashama stressed the importance of basic vehicle maintenance and preparedness: “It might be making sure that we have money on the phone to make a call if something happens, making sure that we have a proper tyre in the car, making sure that our windows are up in certain areas, our doors are locked.”

Defensive Driving: “Making sure that we keep the distance between us and the car in front. Because sometimes when we go close to a vehicle in the front of us, we have that closeness to the front, closeness to the back. If something happens, we may need to manoeuvre out,” Mashama advised, highlighting the importance of maintaining space for potential evasive manoeuvres.

Communication: The professor recommended keeping someone informed of your movements: “Most times when I’m leaving from one spot to the next, I’ll put on my live location and have somebody monitor it just in case so they could know, ‘Okay, I’m on my way home. I’m supposed to reach at this time’.”

Approaching Home: When arriving home, Mashama suggested being cautious: “Sometimes press the gate and it may mean drive away a little bit. It may mean if you’re coming out your vehicle, pass first. Pass your gate first. It may mean parking a little lower down and walking back to your gate because what this does, it gives you a chance to see what is happening in the environment.”

Sensory Awareness: Mashama warned against fully isolating oneself while driving: “We sometimes like to drive in environments with our windows up and yes, and the air condition on and the music blasting. But then we are not hearing what is happening in our surroundings sometimes. So, it may be advisable that we maybe leave the glass three quarters, but I can still hear what is happening outside, just in case there is something.”

Approaching your car in public spaces: Professor Mashama offered specific advice for situations like returning to your car in a mall parking lot, especially at night: “What I do when I’m going back to my vehicle, most times, and again, the advice I give to people is, one, you don’t ever walk straight to your vehicle. Two, you have an alarm on your car, whatever. Sometimes just press. Press, let the alarm go off. But when you’re at distance, we normally wait till we are close, and then we want to press it to open it.”

This approach serves multiple purposes:

• It allows you to observe your surroundings from a safe distance.
• The car alarm can startle and deter potential threats.
• It gives you time to react if you notice anything suspicious.

Mashama highlighted being proactive and aware in these situations, rather than waiting until you’re right next to your vehicle to take safety precautions. This strategy aligns with his overall philosophy of maintaining constant situational awareness and taking responsibility for one’s own safety.

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