Planning Your Holidays- Are YOU Safe?

That time of year is once again upon us! Excitement fills the air, as we plan our Thanksgiving feast and Christmas surprises. We can't wait to get away to see relatives and distant family and friends, and criminals can't wait for the easy crimes of opportunity. Take a look at today's tips and hints, and be sure you make plans to stay safe and secure during this wonderful season!

Most of what we need to do to stay secure any time of the year is based in common sense. However, it is all too easy to become complacent (and you all know what we say about complacency,) and allow things to slip. Take an extra moment or two, and just be aware. 
 

1) Don't leave items in your vehicle. This is one of the most basic and often repeated bits of advice out there. Police encourage people every year to remove items from their vehicles, and yet vehicular break ins are on the rise. As you shop, plan extra time to take things home or to a secure location for safe storage. It might aggravate you, but it will potentially save stress, heartbreak, damage and dealing with police and insurance companies.

2) Don't get separated from your kids! It is too easy for someone to target a small child and vanish with them. Keep the little ones close at all times. It amazes me how there are some folks who allow their toddlers to roam freely in crowded public places. It scares me to think of that innocent little one being swept away, and just how easy it would be for someone to walk off with a tot.

3) Keep your head on a swivel! Actively look around and look AT people. This does not mean you have to shoot everyone the Evil Eye. It means you need to take note of those around you. Pay attention to details. Put down your electronic gadget. Whatever you are doing can wait until later, I promise.

4) Listen to your gut! If, during your looking around, something *feels* wrong, it probably IS wrong. Listen to that inner voice, and make a change. Change direction, change destination, move closer to an exit- but LISTEN.

5) Watch for people who are moving into you. That slight bump, the seemingly innocent point of contact, those are liable to be not-so-innocent and result in you coming up short in the wallet or package department.

6) Know multiple exit points. As you enter a building, take a moment to look and identify exits. Being able to slip out a side door might come in handy, should someone in the crowd around you slip into madness.

7) Stop "checking in" on social media! Why would you do this? Why give someone extra information that they could potentially use against you? Don't argue about the alleged "security" of these social media sites, because there is none. If you don't want information known, then simply don't share it. Living in a delusional bubble, thinking no one will ever use information against you is downright foolish. No, not everyone is out to get you. But there are some who sure won't hesitate to make you an easy mark. Don't give them the upper hand.

8) Don't advertise your travel plans! Again, why would you advertise your plans to the entire world? By stating travel plans on the interwebz, you are essentially hanging a sign over your home, saying, "It's empty! Come get what you want!" Refer to number 7 as well, please.

9) Have a trust worthy neighbor collect your mail. A full mailbox is also an indicator of an empty abode. By having someone you trust collect your mail daily, or by having it held at the post office, you reduce the advertisement of an empty residence.

10) Get timers for lights. Having your lights go on and off at random times, as they would when you are home, can also help deter a break in. Having a neighbor park a car in your driveway, and move it around is also worth considering. Or, have someone actually house sit. Again- do yourself (and your potential house sitter) a favor, and don't advertise that you won't be home.

I get that posting pictures of your cool stuff, selfies of where you are, and sharing every thought that goes through people's heads is considered the norm now. Just because everyone else does it, does not mean it's a great idea. Like my Great Grandfather used to say, "If all your pals jumped off a cliff, does that mean you need to do it as well?" 

Think about it y'all. Stay aware, keep tabs on your kids, and don't over-share your plans. Know how to get out if something does happen as you are shopping. 

Stay safe out there, folks. 
Shannon

"I Don't Need To Shoot! I'll Just SHOW MY GUN And They Will RUN!"

 

Not what I want to see coming my way. Image from Google

Sounds like a great idea, right? You just show a potential Bad Guy that you're packin', he will quake with fear, void his bladder, and scramble off into the night, never to be seen again. 

While that might be a fantastic plot for a movie, it will by no means be effective in real life. I wish with all my heart that I could tell you this topic is a joke. That we staff in a rare moment of silence pulled this idea out of thin air, for a laugh. But we didn't- this sentiment has been heard by all of us behind the counter, on more than one occasion. 

What if the Bad Guy (or Bad Guys, since predators like to hunt in packs,) are on drugs? What if he or they are intoxicated? What if they know more about guns, how to use them, and how to take them away from people, than you do? What do you do then? 

Remember how I talk about complacency and over-confidence being killers? Believing that if you SHOW a potential threat your gun, they will run away is but another form of a false sense of confidence. I'd venture to guess in most cases, the thought might run through their mind that they are going to score big and get a decent pistol from the interaction they are planning with you.
 

Make a point- be ready to use your gun! Image from Google

Stop and think for a moment. This person, (male or female- men do not have a corner on the market and crime is an equal opportunity employer,) is not afraid of you. They are not worried about your gun. They are not worried about breaking any laws (if they were concerned about the legality of their actions, they would not be committing crimes). Their concern is you, as a soft, easy target, and what they can get from you. 

Your job? Have a plan - preferably multiple plans- in place to protect yourself. Think ahead. Understand that if you MUST draw your firearm, you must be mentally prepared to use it. Understand that your gun should not be your first line of defense. And by the love of the Gunpowder Gods above, please do not lull yourself into the false sense that simply showing an aggressor your gun will stop the incident from happening.

It might- but then again it might not. 

Are you willing to take that chance?

Y'all stay safe out there in this big, beautiful crazy world of ours. Plan, prepare, protect. Come practice. Come observe. Take another class. Never stop learning- knowledge is power that weighs nothing, and has the potential to save your life.

See you at the range-
Shannon
912-355-0205, option #1

Safe Gun Storage In Your Home

There are all manner of rules involved in gun ownership, including rules for keeping it secure in your home. For a quick review, we are going to revisit the four universal rules of gun safety, and then take a look at a few rules for safe home storage.

To begin:
Rule 1: Treat EVERY Gun As If It Was Loaded, All The Time! 
Rule 2: NEVER Point Your Gun At Anything You Are Not Willing To Destroy
Rule 3: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER Until Your Sights Are On Target
Rule 4: Know Your Target And What Is Beyond The Target

These are all common sense, right? You'd think so, but day in and day out at the range we see them violated, by customer after customer. (Yes, range staff does get a bit tired of being swept by muzzles and having guns pointed at us and others.)

Not only do those four common sense rules apply when you are out shooting, please keep them in mind as you devise a plan for safe home storage as well. 

While you are debating the best course of action, here are a few additional things to consider:
First, KEEP QUIET! Don't broadcast what you have, or where you keep it, in your home! Why provide potential bad guys with any additional information? Teach your children to not discuss family business outside the home as well. 

Secondly, examine your personal situation. Are you single? Or do you have children? Do you entertain and host guests frequently? What is the area you live in known for (high crime, low crime)? Don't allow yourself a false sense of security- crime can happen in the deepest of ghettos to the most elite. The only safe place is one you secure by being careful, cautious, and alert. Given your situation at the moment, your plan will vary. Plans are fluid and need to be adjusted accordingly. If it is normally you alone in your home, you need to adjust your plan should you agree to watch your nieces and nephews for an extended stay while Mom and Dad are on a 3 day get-away. 

Thirdly, can you be sneaky? Can you think outside the box? Being able to think creatively and on the sneaky side is going to be a great benefit in how you secure your firearm. Again- have several plans in place for various situations. A bedside placement isn't going to do you much good when a potential home invader rings your doorbell to see if anyone is home. 

Fourth, understand that having your firearm locked in a lock box or small safe is not necessarily going to keep you safe. The benefit of a locking container of sorts is keeping small children from being able to access it. It won't deter a thief from walking away with it, as they will simply pick it up and carry it out. 

The single best place to secure your firearm while you are in your home?
That is an easy answer: on your person. Carrying your gun on you has multiple benefits, from increasing your comfort level as you carry, to being secure in the knowledge that no one else (such as your kids) can access the gun. 

There are times when having your gun on you won't be an option- such as when you are bathing or sleeping. By examining your home and surroundings, you can come up with several different locations to place a firearm. Remember: securing your gun does not always have to mean locking it up behind a biometric safe bolted to your floor deep in your closet. Secure in this instance means out of sight and away from small hands.

If you are willing to invest in a storage option, but are not overly enamored with the large, heavy not overly attractive gun safes on the market, consider gun storage furnishings. Tactical Walls is a veteran owned company, using all American materials, that produces hand crafted items to secure your firearms. No one would ever expect that lovely wallnut shelf holding your service medal shadow box is also securing a short barrel rifle and handguns. Added benefit? Your children won't be able to get into it either. 

Just like every other aspect of owning a firearm, there is no one answer. Be flexible. Have multiple plans, for multiple situations. Be creative and think outside the box. Examine your situation often, and adjust your plan accordingly. Avoid that false sense of security like the plague- don't allow yourself to slip into complacency (ie: "I have a gun now, locked up in the closet, so we're safe. I can get to it in time and remember the combination of the lock before that intruder gets to me, no problem!") Complacency. Kills. 

Stay alert, think outside the box, and stay safe!

Until next time-
~Shannon