General Security Recommendations

Look:

• Cultivate a 'sixth sense' about your neighborhood; know what is normal; 
• Anytime you leave your home or office, look up and down the street for any suspicious cars, vans, or utility vehicles;
• Note people near your home who appear to be repairmen, utility crew teams, peddlers;
• Remain alert while driving;
• Know your "choke points" on your routes – those bottleneck spots you must traverse. Heighten your awareness of other vehicles, vans, motorcycles as you enter such choke points;
• Determine if a pattern is developing with specific cars/motorcycles behind or near you.

Be suspicious of:

• People watching for extended periods of time from street level, buildings, or cars;
• Broken down vehicles - watch the person’s actions;
• Work crews - do they belong there?
• Individuals taking notes or photos;
• People who leave the area when you do;
• Cars parked in the same place for extended periods of time with occupants in the front seat;
• Cars or motorcycles that suddenly pull out of parking places or side streets when you pass them;
• Vehicles driving too fast or too slow, making erratic moves or abrupt stops;
• Vehicles that stop or start as you do.

Be unpredictable:

• Determine all routes available to and from work;
• Vary your route;
• Change departure times frequently (at least one- hour window);
• If possible, frequently change vehicles ;
• Stagger professional and social activities (don’t play tennis every Wednesday at 3).

Other helpful security recommendations:

• Search the exterior and interior of your vehicle.
• Look around and under the car for obvious devices, packages, bits of tape, wire, string, safety pins, clumps of dirt, footprints and other indications of tampering;
• Look inside the vehicle through the windows;
• Look for signs of forced entry around the doors, hood, windows and trunk ( a dirty car reveals fingerprints);
• Look inside the exhaust pipe – invest in a blocking pin;
• Check the gas cap for signs of tampering – look inside the neck of the gas tank;
• Look around, on top of and under the tires – don’t forget the hubcaps;
• Check the driver/passenger compartment; always start with the floor and under the seat, then work up;
• Look for devices and wires attached to doors or wedged between the door and seat;
• Check door panels for signs of tampering;
• Look under seats, dashboard, floor mats and headrests;
• Check the ashtrays, speakers, cigarette lighter, vanity and dome lights;
• Check the sunvisor and glove compartment;