812-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 18, 2000 Refuse To Be A Victim LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Farming Staff READING (Berks Co.) Do you fear being mugged? Are you afraid your car or house might be burglarized? Deputy Sheriff Jackie Weaknecht believes one can refuse to be a victim. “A victim’s personality plays a key role,” Weaknecht said about the chances of being victimized by a crimi nal. “Criminals want an easy target. You stand a much better chance of preventing criminal attack if you make yourself difficult to prey upon.” In a recent presentation at the Berks County Cooperative Extension, Weaknecht wiped out preconceived ideas people have about criminals and about personal safety. “Criminals want to blend in with the crowd, and try to gain your trust,” she said. “You can’t easily identify them.” Physical Security To protect oneself, Weaknecht of fered the following advice: ill’s a known fact that when frightened, people’s motor skills leave them, and they become all thumbs. 9 Jackie Weaknecht Deputy Sheriff • Be alert and aware of your sur roundings, especially when leaving shopping malls, because criminals know you are probably carrying cash, checkbooks, credit cards, or valuable merchandise. • Make eye contact with strangers. • Wear shoulder bag strap across your body. Money belts are even bet ter, but fanny bags can easily be re moved. • Don’t lay down packages. • Keep packages in front of you. • When walking in a parking lot, have one hand free with keys out and ready. • If you see someone who makes you feel uneasy, don’t walk toward them. Car Security Weaknecht recommends looking beneath your car before entering it. In some instances, criminals are known to hide beneath the car and grab the ankles of the victims. Hunters , Hosts Must Keep Safety In Mind UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) When Pennsylvania deer season be gins on Nov. 27, an estimated one mil lion hunters will head for the woods. Both hunters and landowners need to keep safety in mind. Many hunters use the property of farmers and other landowners,” said Earle Robbins, Tioga County exten sion director for Penn State Coopera tive Extension and certified hunting safety instructor. “Cooperation and mutual understanding between hunt ers and hosts is the key to keeping ev eryone involved safe and satisfied.” If hunters are guests on your prop erty this year, make sure they are re sponsible and mature. “If you have any doubts about the behavior of hunters who ask to use your land, it’s probably best to say no,” Robbins warns. “Make sure your guests know how you expect the land to be treated and ask if they have any questions about the property or your expecta tions.” Check your property before letting anyone use it. “Walk around your land before the season starts and look for hazards,” Robbins says. “Your Deputy Sheriff Jackie Weaknecht explains the importance of having a personal safety strategy in place before you need it. “You stand a much better chance of preventing criminal attack if you make yourself difficult to prey upon,” she said. • Get in the car and lock it immedi- ately. • Start the car. If necessary, you will be prepared to leave immediately. Weaknecht said, “It’s a known fact that when frightened, people’s motor skills leave them and they become all thumbs.” • Keep anything of value out of sight in a locked car. Desperate crimi nals are known to break inside a car when spotting loose change. Home Security At home do not leave a wallet or money lying in an area that can be easily spotted from a criminal looking in a window. Recently a rash of home invasions have been happening even while the homeowner is at home. A common scam is for someone to ring the door bell and distract the homeowner while a partner in crime enters through a rear door and grabs jewelry, money and other valuables. • Do not open the door to a strang er. Weaknecht recommends installing a wide-angle door viewer to identify people on your doorstep. • Never tell a stranger you are home alone. Do not broadcast your plans in public where others can overhear. • Keep trees and shrubbery around your home well-trimmed. Overgrown bushes and trees provide excellent hid ing places for criminals. Instead plant guests aren’t as familiar with your land as you are, so you may see dan gers they wouldn’t. Warn hunters about hazards and post warning signs if needed. If you want parts of your land left alone, say so.” Hunters never should assume they have a right to hunt on property not posted with “no trespassing” signs. “Always ask permission to hunt on private property,” Robbins says. “Hunting and trapping are privileges in Pennsylvania. A license does not en title you to trespass on private lands.” If you get permission, ask the land owner about potential hazards on the property and whether any sections are off-limits. “Always obey the owner’s rules and respect his or her property,” Robbins says. “Behave the way you would like a guest to behave in your home.” Hunters must strictly follow Penn sylvania Game Commission rules on safety. Wear at least 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on the head, chest and back. Camouflage fluorescent orange may satisfy this regulation if the total orange content is at least 250 square inches. Remember that it’s illegal to hunt defensive shrubbery (bushes with thorns, stiff, spiky leaves) around the home, especially beneath windows. • Never hide a key under a mat, in a flower pot or other easily accessible place. Criminals know all the hiding places. Phone Security • Do not give information to strang ers on the telephone. • If you have an answering ma chine, do not announce your name and number as part of the message. Weaknecht explained that criminals sometimes dial numbers randomly, and may not remember which number they dialed unless repeated by the an swering machine. • Consider keeping a separate line or cellular phone as a security device. Criminals often taking a phone receiv er off the hook, which renders other units on the line inoperable. A cellular phone in your bedroom is a good pre caution. • Never give important information such as credit card numbers when using a cellular phone. For less than $lOO, anyone can buy scanning de vices and listen in on cellular phone conversations. Weaknecht recommends the 3-hour course, NRA Refuse to Be A Victim, which is available throughout the U.S. For information about courses in your area, call 1-800-861-1166. within ISO yards of any occupied resi dence, camp, industrial or commercial building, school or playground with out permission. This creates a safety zone roughly the size of one and a half football fields.” Always follow basic gun safety rules. “Handle a gun as if it’s loaded, even if you’re positive it’s not,” he says. “It’s an extremely bad idea to cross a fence or stream with a loaded firearm. Unload it and place it through the fence before you go over or under. Never stand a loaded gun against a tree, wall or vehicle where it could be knocked over and dis charged. Unload it and place it on a flat surface instead.” Finally, Robbins advises hunters and their hosts to promote safety by reporting violations and injuries to the Pennsylvania Game Commission as soon as possible. “If you have ques tions about specific hunting regula tions, contact the game commission.” Robbins also recommends “A Digest of Pennsylvania Hunting and Trap ping Regulations,” published by the game commission. “It’s an excellent summary of regulations and offers many safe hunting tips,” he said. SEE YOUR NEAREST ■■ 89 I\EWHOLLAI\D DEALER FOR DEPENDABLE EQUIPMENT & SERVICE PENNSYLVANIA Mbottstpwn. RA Honev Grove. PA Messick Norman D. Clark Equipment & Son, Inc. RD 1, Box 255 A Honey Grove, PA 717-259-6617. 717-734-3682 Loysville, PA Annvllle. PA 717-789-3117 BHM Farm Equipment, Inc. RD 1, Rte. 934 717-867-2211 Carlisle. PA R&W Pitman. PA Equipment Co. Schreffler 35 East Willow street Equipment 717-243-2686 Pitman, PA ’ 570-648-1120 Messick Tamaaua, PA Equipment Ch . s Rt. 283 - Rheem’s Exit 717-367-1319 lnC ‘ R.D. 3 570-386-5945 Greencastle. PA Meyers Implements, Inc. West Grove. PA 400 North Antrim Way S.G.Lewis & Son, Inc 717-597-2176 35 2 n Jennersville Rd 610-869-2214 1-800-869-9029 Halifax. PA Sweigard Bros, R.D.3, Box 13 717-896-3414 MARYLAND Frederick, MP Hagerstown. MD Ceresville Ford New Antietam Ford Holland, Inc. Tractor, Inc. Rt. 26 East * 2027 Leitersburg Pike 301-662-4197 % 800-553-6731 Outside MO, 800-331-91%,301 -791-1200 ■BfiteSunbMp; • *i4g ®uStwa|iqiSprnent Routel, SO N. Greenmont Rd. 1-800-442*5043 *.r%, NEW JERSEY Washington, Nsl / Smith Tractor & Equip., Inc. 15 Hillcrest Ave. 908-689-7900 a HOLLAND j6sj (NEW HOLLAIVD Company A.B.C. Groff, Inc 110 South Railroad 717-354-4191 Bridgeton. Nyi Leslie G. Fogg, Inc. Canton & Stow Creek Landing Rd. 609-451-2727 609-935-5145 Woodstown. 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