Fighting crime: commonsense strategies for protecting ourselves.I was being followed. Ten years ago I was teaching choral music in a large urban high school. We had just finished our technical rehearsal for the spring musical--"Oklahoma!"--which I was producing and directing. After practice ended at 10 p.m., I got into my car and headed home. As I exited the freeway, I noticed that a car seemed to be following me to my central city neighborhood. I turned sharply at a few corners, just to see if the three men in the car behind stayed with me. They did. Panicked, I finally pulled into my driveway, turned on my bright high-beam headlights and honked loudly to wake the neighbors. When the neighbors turned on their porch light and came out, the car sped away. Frilled frilled a mutation producing a specific form of feathering in different areas of the body of canaries. There may be curled feathers on the shoulders and wings (mantle), on the breast (jabot), or on the flanks (fins). but relieved, I wondered aloud why they had followed me. My neighbor mused, "Maybe they saw that handicapped parking permit hanging from your rearview mirror!" I was stunned stun tr.v. stunned, stun·ning, stuns 1. To daze or render senseless, by or as if by a blow. 2. To overwhelm or daze with a loud noise. 3. . It had never occurred to me that someone might follow me because of that! I have never forgotten that frightening drive home. Hate crimes? People with disabilities are not exempt from violent crimes such as robbery and assault. Just the opposite. Some research finds that the rate of major crimes against people with substantial disabilities is four to ten times higher than that of the general population. When people with disabilities are specifically targeted, they become what many would call victims of hate crime. The International Association of Chiefs of Police
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) was founded in Chicago in 1893 as the National Chiefs of Police Union. (IACP IACP International Association of Chiefs of Police IACP International Academy of Collaborative Professionals IACP International Association of Culinary Professionals IACP Istituto Autonomo Case Popolari IACP International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists ) defines a hate crime as a criminal offense against a person, property, or society that is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender's bias against race, religion, ethnic/national origin, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation sexual orientation n. The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes, especially a direction seen to be dictated by physiologic rather than sociologic forces. . A person has committed a hate crime when, based on the above criteria, he or she commits assault or battery, theft, criminal trespass, damage to property, mob action Mob Action is a clothing label based in Leipzig, Germany. The name is synonymous with riot, outlining the company's political appeal. , disorderly conduct disorderly conduct Conduct likely to lead to a disturbance of the public peace or that offends public decency. It has been held to include the use of obscene language in public, fighting in a public place, blocking public ways, and making threats. , or telephone harassment Ask a Lawyer Question Country: United States of America State: Nevada I recently moved to nev.from abut have been going back to ca. every 2 to 3 weeks for med. upon an individual or a group. Hate crimes and the disabled The FBI says that its highest civil rights priority is the investigation of hate crimes. The most recent FBI statistics--for 2000--list 8,063 hate crime incidents reported by 11,690 law enforcement agencies A law enforcement agency (LEA) is a term used to describe any agency which enforces the law. This may be a local or state police, federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). in 48 states and the District of Columbia District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). . The incidents were motivated by bias: racial, religious, sexual orientation, ethnicity/national origin, disability, and combination biases. Disability bias ranks lower than the others, but sometimes crimes against people with disabilities are underreported because victims fear they will lose their independence. Families often feel that a crime committed against a person with emotional or mental problems will not even be prosecuted. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Barbara Faye Waxman, in an article titled "Hatred: The Unacknowledged Dimension in Violence Against Disabled People" (Sexuality and Disability, Vol. 19, No. 3, 1991), the police are generally less likely to interpret a crime against a disabled person as a hate crime. Vulnerability But why else would someone attack a person with a disability? The group All Walks of Life <www.awol-texas.org>, whose mission is to empower social solutions for people with disabilities, believes the main reason is that someone with a disability is simply more vulnerable to predators. People who use braces, canes, or other aids give visible clues to predators that they are less likely to escape or fight back. Prevention For those of us living with MS, daily living means managing our disease. But we also need to manage our personal safety. Whether crime is stimulated by hate or simply because we seem to be easy prey, the statistics say we can be targeted. Crimes against people with disabilities occur in many places: assisted living as·sist·ed living n. A living arrangement in which people with special needs, especially older people with disabilities, reside in a facility that provides help with everyday tasks such as bathing, dressing, and taking medication. centers, group-care homes, hospitals, public transportation systems, parking lots, nursing homes, schools, and the work place. Commonsense crime-prevention strategies: * Be aware of your surroundings--on the street, in a shopping mall, or waiting for a bus or subway. * Act in a manner that says you are calm, confident, and sure of your purpose and destination. * Know the neighborhood where you live and work. Check out the locations of fire and police departments, and stores that are open and accessible. * Consider carrying a personal alarm such as the type joggers use to signal an emergency. * If you exit a store or mall for a large parking lot, ask a security person to accompany you to your vehicle. * Put good locks on all your doors. Police recommend double-cylinder deadbolt locks. Make sure you can easily use the locks you install. * Install peepholes on the front and back doors at eye level--at two eye levels if you use a wheelchair. * Get to know your neighbors. Watchful neighbors who look out for each other are a frontline defense against crime! * Never open the door to a stranger without first verifying the stranger's identity and the purpose of the visit. * Never tell a stranger on the phone that you are disabled. * Stick to well-lighted, well-traveled streets. Avoid shortcuts See Win Shortcuts. through vacant lots, wooded areas, parking lots, or alleys. * Carry your purse close to your body, not dangling by the straps. Put your wallet in an inside coat or front pants pocket. If you use a wheelchair, keep your purse or wallet tucked snugly between you and the inside of the chair. * Consider getting a cellular phone. * If your state offers the option, chose a hanging handicapped parking tag instead of a license plate, so you have the option not to reveal this information. People with disabilities are tough. We deal with multiple challenges in daily life. Although some of us might not be able to enroll in a self-defense class, all of us can arm ourselves with one type of critical self-defense: common sense. Karen Zielinski is a Franciscan nun and communications director for the Sisters of St. Francis Sisters of St. Francis can refer to:
Sylvania is located at (41.711450, -83. . This is her 27th year of living with MS. Crimewatchers National Center on Education, Disability and Juvenile Justice University of Maryland University of Maryland can refer to:
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion