“Armed and unarmed robberies in the District have increased 32 percent from this time last year – from 663 by mid-March of 2011 to 875 so far this year.”
In his Washington Post article, D.C. Police Scramble to Counter Rising Number of Robberies, Clarence Williams writes about the sharp increase in the number of robberies that have occurred this year over this same period last year. A previous Blog Post, Self Defense Options Against Assault and Robbery, featured Courtland Milloy’s piece “Multiple Choices in Self Defense” that also discussed the dramatic rise in armed robberies in the district and focused on options people can take toward personal protection. Milloy’s article took a brief critical look at contrasting the potential benefits of legalizing concealed-carry of firearms by the average person with alternative protective tactics for person and property.
“There were 875 robberies reported in the District through March 18. Driving the increase has been a jump in incidents in which a gun was used; those crimes are up more than 70 percent.”
Clarence William’s article takes a different approach to the rising robbery statistics. Using more figures and statistics reported by the Washington D.C. metro police and testimonials from robbery victims William’s creates a fuller portrait of the resulting impact the rise in crime is having. Illustrating the effects on people’s behavior and the tactics being utilized by the metro police to combat the increasing incidents of armed and unarmed robbery.
“The variety of incidents illustrates the reach of robbery, a crime to which almost anyone could fall victim. Four young men took a man’s book bag and laptop after flashing a handgun on Alabama Avenue SE, according to police reports; someone snatched the bag of a woman walking in the Petworth area; a man laughed as he ran off with a 26-year-old woman’s iPhone near Union Station; a man showed a pistol in a Southeast McDonald’s restaurant and made off with cash.”
There are a couple of key ideas that can be drawn from the article and the rising rates of street-level assaults and robbery. One, the main protagonist for personal safety and security is the person themselves. Despite the best efforts of the Washington DC metro police, they cannot be everywhere protecting everyone at a ounce. Plus, the tendency of criminals and predators is to be where the risk is lowest…e.g. they seek their targets where the police are not present. Second, one of the best ways to keep yourself safe is to reduce your chances of being targeted through awareness and avoidance. Being armed with potent skills in awareness and avoidance are powerful modalities of personal protection that are often absent from many self defense and martial arts training programs, but these concepts can reduce your chances of even having to fight (Decision to Fight for Self Defense).
“Robbers look for opportunities and see them in people carrying expensive electronics and other items that are easily resold”-Cathy L. Lanier, Police Chief
As previously highlighted (Critical Awareness in Self Defense and Martial Arts Training), training in awareness and avoidance are just as critical to self defense and personal protection as developing physical fighting and counter-assault skills. Awareness of your environment, the people around you, attacker rituals of violence, and various elements of personal, internal awareness are key pieces to understanding how to reduce your risk and hopefully avoid violent assault. As indicated in the Clarence Williams article, people tend to become more alert when the rate of assaults dramatically rises. Washington DC Council Member Yvette M. Alexander is quoted as saying “Residents are becoming a little bit more vigilant and aware of their surroundings..” However, awareness should be a continuous, conscious everyday activity, and not just employed when the crime rate rises. Walking down the street while staring face-down in your iPhone is a bad option whether the current crime rate is higher or lower than usual.
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