How To Spot a Criminal: Tips to Keep You Safe
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When you’re out for a night of fun with your friends and eager to have a good time, the last thing you want to worry about is a criminal targeting you. However, parties and nightlife activities invariably attract people who are up to no good. After all, once folks have a few drinks, they typically find it much harder to spot suspicious activity.
Here are a few surefire ways to spot criminals when you’re out in public, and what to do if you suspect someone is targeting you.
If you’ve been to three or more separate venues and you keep seeing the same person out of the corner of your eye, the odds are high that you’re being stalked. If this happens, alert the people around you to the stalker’s presence and request that your friends keep close. Once you’ve been targeted by someone brazen enough to stalk you across multiple locations, you’re in danger.
If the person makes any threatening moves toward you, don’t hesitate to call the police. You might not want to ruin everyone’s night by getting the law involved, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Make sure you never leave your group or go walking alone if you’ve spotted someone keeping tabs on you.
Sometimes it’s nice to get attention from kind strangers. They might even offer to buy you drinks, or bring a drink over to your table. However, it’s never a good idea to accept a drink someone brings you that you didn’t see the bartender make. If someone insists on buying you a drink, ask that you both go to the bar so you can watch them make it–that way, you know you haven’t been drugged.
Likewise, never leave your beverage unattended. When you’re not looking directly at your drink, it’s a good idea to leave a napkin on top of it. That way, if someone tries to sneak something into your drink, they’ll have to remove the napkin first–a dead giveaway that they’re up to no good.
Going out on the town with your friends is more fun than going alone. It’s also much safer! If you meet someone while you’re out who is extremely insistent on getting you alone, use your critical thinking skills before you agree to follow them somewhere away from your friends.
Sometimes, this could be a harmless attempt to get some alone time. Other times, this could be a dangerous criminal trying to take your wallet or purse. It’s ideal to stick with your friends and tell the person you’ll be happy to spend time with them later–perhaps in the daytime, in a brightly-lit and crowded place. If they’re still willing to meet you the next day, they’re probably genuinely interested in your company.