NEWS RELEASE
City of Takoma Park Police Department
* 7500 Maple Avenue * Takoma Park, Md 20912
For more information contact:
Public Information Officer (PIO)
Catherine Plevy, 301/891.7142 or 240/338.2901
February 25, 2011 (11:25 a.m.)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chief Ronald A. Ricucci of the Takoma Park Police Department announces today a third Crime Prevention and Personal Safety seminar for the City of Takoma Park called Refuse to be a Victim, to be taught by Crime Prevention Specialist, Janice Hart, of the Front Royal, Virginia, Police Department. This seminar will be held on Saturday, February 26, 2011, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This seminar is open to all residents and will be held in the Council auditorium on the 2nd floor of the City Building, 7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, Maryland.
Please call Cathy Plevy at 301.891.7142 or e-mail her at Cathyp@takomagov.org to sign up for the seminar. If you leave a message on the phone, please leave your name, address, telephone number and email address.
This is our third time presenting this seminar. We have extended the seminar to four hours so we can spend more time on topics that residents have requested. We will also have more time for questions. The seminar will focus more on Takoma Park issues. These changes were made as a result of resident input.
Refuse to be a Victim is a seminar that teaches easy to understand methods you can use to increase awareness and prevent criminal confrontation. In just a few hours, you will get the tools you need to develop your own personal safety strategy.
As a result of our last two seminars and resident feedback, some of the topics to be covered more in depth this time are:
• Video cameras
• Being mugged
• Internet/Computer safety
• Self defense
• Physical security
• Personal protection if attacked
• Street robberies
• Attempt burglaries while you are home
We will have more audience participation. If you attended the first two seminars, you are more than welcome to attend again, as we have incorporated your feedback into the four hour program. There will be some new material and a repeat of some material that was passed out at the last seminar.
Hundreds of federal, state and local law enforcement officials across the country have implemented Refuse to be a Victim into their crime prevention and community policing initiatives.
Executive Director of the Virginia Crime Prevention Association states “Everyone should consider the possibility of, and be prepared to defend themselves from, a criminal attack. However, if they have not adopted the proven personal safety routines recommended by Refuse to be a Victim, then they may have surrendered their options of refusing to be a victim of a crime.”
Many ask “What can I do to better protect myself, my family, friends or employees from becoming victimized?” These are the types of questions that men and women ponder prior to attending a Refuse to be a Victim crime prevention and personal safety seminar. A few things you will learn at a Refuse to be a Victim seminar are:
- How to minimize risk of victimization
- How to create a personalized safety plan, before it is needed
- An array of personal safety strategies
From setting up a home defense plan and safe room, to using your Internet Service Provider (ISP) parental control options to block access to adult material and adult chat rooms, the Refuse to be a Victim program has information for everyone.
Seminar participants of every age group are empowered by the information presented in the Refuse to be a Victim seminar. Whether you live in a major metropolitan city, the suburbs, or a one traffic-light rural town, crime prevention preparedness should be something to which you give a good deal of thought. Law enforcement and security experts agree that the best way to reduce one’s chances of victimization is through the development of a personal safety strategy before it is needed.
Develop your own personal safety strategy. Personal safety is not always convenient. You must consciously integrate the options you choose into everyday life until good habits are formed. Remember, criminals prefer easy targets. The more difficult a target you present, the less likely you are to become a victim.
Remember, you can choose to Refuse to be a Victim!
