From the desk of Bobby Brasher, Dean of Students:

We want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It is the time of year when there are many things going on around us and our families. I wanted to send this letter with several bullet points to help heighten your awareness of holiday safety. As we go through this holiday season we will be shopping, attending holiday functions, Christmas programs, and family gatherings. I would like to encourage you to be aware of what people in the security field call “situational awareness.” This is knowing and observing your surroundings and people who are around you. Basically, it’s paying attention to your situation.

Here are some helpful Christmas holiday safety tips:

• Shop with a friend
• Shop during the daylight hours if at all possible – if you need to go out for something at 10:00pm at night, send your husband, a trusted male friend, or take a female friend with you.
• Park Smart- preferably under a street light if it is at night. Circle the parking lot a couple of times if you needed to find a safe parking spot. Observe the people in the parking lot taking note of groups of undesirable loitering suspicious individuals hanging out in parking areas. If you observe this, go to another store or circle the parking lot until they leave. Be aware of parking lot predators.
• Purse and credit card defense – If possible, don’t carry a purse. Have a credit card and driver’s license in your pocket. Find a method to carry limited personal belongings that can be zipped up secure and keep your hands free.
• Never leave your purse unattended – Do not even turn your back or leave your purse unattended if it is in your shopping cart.
• Internet shopping – there is a major trend going on now where thieves are picking up boxes and Christmas gifts that are left at your front door by UPS and Fed Ex. While online shopping is booming because of the convenience, it is also a low-risk opportunity for a thief to pick up merchandise with no one at home.

In January, we will be sending information out regarding a safety seminar that goes well beyond holiday shopping, and is for anyone interested in becoming more aware of safety precautions and this type of situational awareness on a daily basis. We can arrange for the class to take place here at Brook Hill after hours. Please reply to this email, and we will put your name on an “interested” list and make sure to send you information regarding future safety and self-defense class offerings.

Our desire is to make you safer by making you more aware!