Julia Corker, daughter of Tennessee Senator Bob Corker was car-jacked in downtown Washington, DC. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,579148,00.html?test=latestnews According to news reports, she was stopped at an intersection when two unarmed men ripped her out of her vehicle, jumped in and drove away with her SUV.  Fortunately, she was uninjured and authorities quickly arrested her attackers. The focus of the media coverage on this story has been the rapid police response to her phone call for help and the vehicle-tracking device that ultimately helped police to find and apprehend the two criminals. This media reporting highlights the mindset that most people have about security.  They place the primary responsibility for their own safety in the hands of others and tend to focus on reacting after an incident has already occurred.   Ironically, this approach is not only flawed, but it is actually one of the largest reasons that criminals are able to carry out successful attacks. This particular story has a happy ending, but the entire situation probably could have been avoided with just a little bit of situational awareness and a structured security mindset. Yes, there was a vehicle-tracking device. Yes, there were authorities that quickly rushed to the scene. BUT, for those few terrifying minutes as she was dragged from her car by the throat and lay alone, unconscious on the street, none of that mattered.  Picture yourself or your child in Julia Corker’s shoes.  Now ask yourself these questions:

• Would you have been able to avoid this attack if you knew how to increase your awareness, what to look for and how to evaluate people who approach you?
• Would you have been able to react faster with the knowledge of how to prioritize your personal safety actions?
• Would you feel better knowing how to react BEFORE an incident ever occurred?

Effective response to an attack is a good thing, but it doesn’t change the fact that an attack has already occurred.  It is much better to stop attacks from happening in the first place through a well-developed mindset that focuses on situational awareness and avoidance. For more information, check out Sealed Mindset’s 15 Seconds to Safety course.