Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness (OSP)
Office of Security and Law Enforcement (OS&LE)
Travel Security
Criminals look for patterns and vulnerabilities that they can exploit. Potential targets
should conduct simple pattern and route analyses to determine where they are most
vulnerable and predictable. Be unpredictable!
Trusting your gut and avoiding a potentially dangerous situation may cause you a bit of
inconvenience, but ignoring such feelings can lead to serious trouble.
The discipline part of practicing situational awareness refers to the conscious effort
required to pay attention to gut feelings and to surrounding events even while you are
busy and distracted. At such times even obvious hostile activity can go unnoticed, so
individuals need to learn to be observant even while doing other things. One of the keys
to personal preparedness and protection is to have a contingency plan in place in the
event of an attack or other major emergency. The second element is practicing
situational awareness.
First and foremost, it needs to be noted that being aware of your surroundings and
identifying potential threats and dangerous situations is more of a mindset than a hard
skill. Because of this, situational awareness is not something so complex and difficult
that only highly trained security personnel can practice it. Indeed, situational awareness
can be exercised by anyone with the will and the discipline to do so.
An important element of adopting the mindset required to practice situational awareness
is to first recognize that threats exist. Ignorance or denial of a threat -- or completely
tuning out one's surroundings while in a public place -- makes a person's chances of
quickly recognizing the threat and avoiding it slim to none. This is why apathy, denial
and complacency can be (and often are) deadly. A second important element is
understanding the need to take responsibility for one's own security. Therefore, people
need to look out for themselves and their neighbors.
Another important facet of this mindset is learning to trust your "gut" or intuition. Many
times a person's subconscious can notice subtle signs of danger that the conscious
mind has difficulty quantifying or articulating. Many people who are victimized frequently
experience such feelings of danger prior to an incident but choose to ignore them.
People who heed such perceptions are seldom caught off guard.
Situational awareness is effective in allowing people to see potential threats before -and as -- they develop. This allows potential victims to take proactive measures to avoid
a perceived threat, and it enables them or other observers to alert authorities. People
should prepare, plan and practice and not let paranoia and the fear of crime rob them of
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the joy of life. Situational awareness serves as one of the key building blocks of
effective personal security.
By using these basic safety tips and your own common knowledge, you can help protect
yourself and your family while traveling:
❑ Make sure your vehicle is in good working order.
❑ If possible, vary your travel routes and times.
❑ Be familiar with your route and have alternate routes.
❑ Be alert to your surroundings and have a plan.
❑ Check regularly for surveillance. If you suspect that you are being followed, never
lead the person back to your home or stop and confront. Drive to the nearest safe
haven, i.e., police station, fire station, mall, or public location. Note the license plate
number, color, make, model, and any information printed on the vehicle that might be
useful in tracing the vehicle or its occupants. Always report these incidents immediately
to the VA IOC, local law enforcement authorities, OS&LE and the VA OIG Special
Agents.
❑ When in your car, always keep the doors locked. Any time you drive through areas
containing stoplights, stop signs, or anything that significantly reduces vehicular speed,
keep your windows up.
❑ When driving, select an outer lane so you can escape if necessary by driving over a
curb or median.
❑ Leave ample maneuvering space between your vehicle and the one in front of you.
Stop with enough distance to see the car’s tires in front of you touching the ground. This
will leave enough room to drive around that car.
❑ If you are approached by a suspicious person(s) while you are stopped, do not roll
down windows; drive away quickly.
❑ If you are being harassed by another driver, go to the nearest safe haven, i.e., police
station, fire station, or public location. Once you find a place of safety, don’t worry about
using a legal parking space. Park as close as you can and get inside fast!.
❑ If another driver tries to force you to pull over or to cut you off, keep driving and try to
get away. Try to note the license plate number of the car and a description of the car
and driver. If this effort places you in danger, don’t do it. The information is not as
important as your safety.
❑ Never pick up hitchhikers!
❑ When you park, look for a spot that offers good lighting and is close to a location
where there are a lot of people. Lock valuables in the trunk, and lock all doors.
❑ Always check your vehicle inside and out before entering it. If you notice anything
unusual, do not enter the vehicle.
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❑ Extra precautions are necessary when shopping. If you take packages out to lock in
your trunk, and then plan on returning to the stores to do more shopping, it may be a
good idea to move your car to another section of the parking lot or street. The criminal
knows that you will be coming back and can wait to ambush you. By moving your car,
you give the impression you’re leaving. If you think you are being followed, do not go
back to your car. Return to the safety of the occupied shopping area or office building
and contact the authorities.
❑ If you have car trouble on the road, raise your hood. If you have a radio antenna,
place a handkerchief or other flag there.
❑ When people stop to help, don’t get out of the car unless you know them or it’s the
police. Ask the “Good Samaritan” to stop at the nearest service station and report your
problem.
❑ If you are in a parking lot or parked on the street and have trouble, be wary of
personal assistance from strangers. Go to the nearest telephone and call a repair
service or friend for assistance. If you feel threatened by the presence of nearby
strangers, lock yourself in your car and blow the horn to attract attention of others.
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