by Sherry McCourt, CFE

Everybody has a right to protect themselves. We have a right to protect our property. Business owners have a right to limit loses and protect their livelihoods.

What happens when injury is a result of us protecting ourselves – what happens if death is the result of us exercising our rights? Where do we draw the line?

On Tuesday September 22, 2009 – CBC – reported that a “Store owner faces assault charge after the death of a shoplifter” (Please click the link to read the full story).

Of course the investigation is still on going but the summary of the story is that a 61 year old woman was confronted by the owner of a convenience store when she was trying to steal a can of lunch meat worth $1.49. The police were notified of the confrontation, which allegedly included the use of a bat, 2 days after the incident. Five days later the woman was taken off life support and had passed away.

Reportedly her death has not been conclusively linked to the “confrontation” and there is an ongoing investigation.

So my question for you is… Where do we draw the line? How far are we allowed to go to protect ourselves?

Be Safe & Be Good To Each Other!
Sherry

by Sherry McCourt
www.sherrymccourt.com

Gone are the days of relying on the simplistic alarm systems with basic security functions and ignored sirens.

Sophistication and Smart Technology takes the place of a standard security system and turns basic into an extraordinary, easy to use, life enhancing and even an environmentally friendly approach to safe and easy living.

Smart Systems provide the ultimate in safety for your family with features not found in a standard security system such as inside and outside lights turning on in the event of a security breach, or the air conditioner/ furnace fan automatically turning off in the event of a fire to prevent the spreading of smoke throughout the home.

These systems can be personalized to notify you by e-mail, internet surveillance or by central monitoring of an alarm event. With a couple clicks of a mouse you can log in to your home system and check or change the security, temperature, or light settings, and view any camera’s you have in your home.

An example of these alerts is having your system email you when your children have arrived home from school or if the alarm has gone off.

So in these busy and often hectic times, it is very normal for us to turn to technology to ease some of the demands and why not?

The security of my home is one less thing I worry about, I love my occupancy lighting – I never come home to a dark house (and I am not wasting electricity leaving the lights on), I never think about the temperature in my house (and I know that I am saving money on my heating/cooling bills) and my house will email me if the children have not arrived home by our set time. (NEXGEN Controls inc. installed my system)

Aren’t you and your family worth more than the basic alarm system?

Be safe,
Sherry

by Sherry McCourt
www.sherrymccourt.com

This past week has been particularly brutal with multiple cities reporting street attacks. Some were one bad guy against an individual and others involved groups of bad guys attacking young couples. Some involved weapons while others involved vicious intimidation by means of verbal and physical force.

How fitting is it that I have been introduced to Steven Mosley. Steven has over two decades of law enforcement experience but what has impressed me even more is his 20+ years of defensive tactics instruction. So when I decided to write a summary of what it takes to Win A Street Fight I had to share these tips Steven shares with us in his blog “Street Sense”

Random Tips for Winning On The Street
• The number one option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
• Make up your mind right now about what you are willing to do to win in a fight.
• Be alert to your surroundings.
• Avoid conflict.
• There’s always someone better than you.
• Keep moving
• Action beats reaction
• There is no “second place” on the street
• Always cheat. Always win.
• Keep breathing and moving your head.
• Don’t escalate the situation. If they escalate, finish them.
• Keep your head moving and your vision in play.
• Always, always check behind you (check six); always, always check around you (check 360).
• Have the mentality to do whatever has to be done. Make up your mind in advance.
• Fight until the threat is over. Be sure it’s over.
• Watch the triangle (head (eyes) to shoulders) and the hands.
• Have a plan.
• Have a back up plan, because the first one won’t survive first contact.
• Don’t drop your guard.
• Be aggressive enough, early enough.
• The faster you finish the fight, the less hurt you will be.
• THE GOLDEN RULE: KNOW WHEN YOU’RE IN A FIGHT. IT STARTS LONG BEFORE THE BLOWS GET THROWN. MOST PEOPLE GET HURT BECAUSE THEY DON’T RECOGNIZE AN INTERVIEW OR THE IMPENDING CUES AROUND THEM THAT TELL YOU — YOU’RE IN A FIGHT.

Be safe!

Sherry

By Sherry McCourt, CFE

www.sherrymccourt.com

June 1, 2009

As I review the papers across North America, I am disheartened to read about the rise in brutal home invasions.

What is a Home Invasion?

Home invasion occurs when a person or persons enter an occupied home with the intent of committing a crime while threatening the residents. This crime has a tendency of being particularly brutal where by the residents are usually tied up and sometimes beaten or worse.

Home Invasions are scary and threaten our belief that we are the safest in our homes.

These bad guys and gals are looking for opportunities to enter your home with the least amount of effort, the lowest risk with the highest gain.

Your job is to make your home less attractive to the criminals!

You do this by making it very difficult to gain access, restrict their ability to view their possible gain and make your home look like they will be seen or caught if they enter your home.

Top 10 tips to keeping you and your family safe:

1 ) Keep your doors locked at all times!

2 ) Secure your windows and their screens.

3 ) Prune or remove trees and shrubs that hide your windows and doors from view or give the bad guys a place to hide.

4 ) Leave your lights on at night or install motion sensors that turn your lights on when there is movement.

5 ) Make sure your lights are out of reach and protected so that they can not be broken or removed.

6 ) Get an alarm system – learn how to use it –activate it even when you are home – put a keypad in your master bedroom and learn how to use the panic / emergency buttons all alarm systems come with.

7 ) Take a look at the Smart Home Technology available to you. This technology enhances your traditional alarm system. My favourite is www.nexgencontrols.com

8 ) Change up your routine! Do not be predictable.

9 ) Appear to have lots of people who live in the home or are there when a stranger comes knocking – better yet – get a dog or make it look like you have a dog.

10 ) Above all else – TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!

God forbid you become a victim of a home invasion.

What should you do?

You need to be quiet, calm, co operative and observant in order to keep your safety and to help the police catch the bad guys.

1 ) Quiet and Stay Calm – now is the time to keep level headed.

2 ) Co-Operate but do not go anywhere with them – Remember that no material possession is worth your life!

3 ) Observe – your job now is to remember as much as you can about the bad guys – scars, tattoos, eyes, nose, mouth, odours – tobacco, alcohol, aftershave or cologne, do they have an accent etc.

And my final tip for today is – Get to know your neighbours and your neighbourhood. Protect one another and look out for one another by knowing what is “normal” for your neighbourhood.

Be Safe!

Sherry

By Sherry McCourt, CFE
www.sherrymccourt.com

Monday April 6, 2009

During my 12+ years at the helm of a private security company I had seen individuals inflict a lot of unnecessary cruelty towards one another – but there are some that stand out as being too close to home… literally!

Can you imagine having your worst nightmare living right beside you? One where the courts would later liken your “described effects typical of civilians caught in a war zone: post-traumatic stress, loss of sleep and appetite, anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, marital strain, depression.” Quoted from the Globe and Mail reporter, Anthony Reinhart in his article “You think you’ve got bad neighbours”.

This particular story is based on a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario but I can assure you that this type of violence occurs in every class of neighbourhood in all corners of the world.

So next time you see your neighbour, take a moment and say hello, perhaps pick up his paper or share a candid moment while taking out the garbage. It is the small relationships that we build in our daily lives which give us peace.

Be safe my friends!

Sherry

March is Fraud Awareness Month and this blog will tackle“ Identity Theft”

Every year, thousands of people from all walks of life fall victim to identity theft.

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information without your knowledge or consent to commit a crime, such as fraud or theft.

In addition to names, addresses and phone numbers, thieves look for:
• social insurance numbers;
• driver’s license numbers;
• credit card and banking information;
• bank cards;
• calling cards;
• birth certificates
• passports.

Identity thieves will manipulate your information and invade your personal and financial life.

Identity thieves can use stolen identities to:
• conduct spending sprees,
• open new bank accounts,
• redirect mail,
• apply for loans,
• credit cards
• social benefits,
• rent apartments,
• establish cellular phone service,
• rent vehicles,
• rent equipment
• secure employment
• commit more serious crimes.

Identity thieves may get your personal information by:
• removing mail from your mailbox or fraudulently redirecting your mail;

• stealing personal and private information from wallets, purses, mail, your home, vehicle, computer, and websites you’ve visited or e-mails you’ve sent;

• retrieving personal information in your garbage or recycling bin by “dumpster diving”;

• posing as a creditor, landlord or employer to get a copy of your credit report or access to your personal information from other confidential sources;

• tampering with automated banking machines (ABMs) and point of sale terminals, enabling thieves to read your debit or credit card number and Personal Identification Number (PIN);

• searching public sources, such as newspapers (obituaries), telephone books, and records open to the public (professional certifications);

• buying the information from a dishonest employee working where personal and/or financial information is stored.

How do I know if my identity has been stolen?
• Bills and statements don’t arrive when they are supposed to — they may have been stolen from the mailbox or someone has changed the mailing address.

• You receive calls from collection agencies or creditors for an account you don’t have or that is up to date. Someone may have opened a new account in your name, or added charges to an account without your knowledge or permission.

• Financial account statements show withdrawals or transfers you didn’t make.

• A creditor calls to say you’ve been approved or denied credit that you haven’t applied for. Or, you get credit card statements for accounts you don’t have.

• You apply for credit and are turned down, for reasons that do not match your understanding of your financial position

How to fight identity theft?
• Minimize the risk. Be careful about sharing personal information or letting it circulate freely.

• When you are asked to provide personal information, ask how it will be used, why it is needed, who will be sharing it and how it will be safeguarded.

• Give out no more than the minimum, and carry the least possible with you.

• Be particularly careful about your SIN; it is an important key to your identity, especially in credit reports and computer databases.

• Don’t give your credit card number on the telephone, by electronic mail, or to a voice mailbox, unless you know the person with whom you’re communicating or you initiated the communication yourself, and you know that the communication channel is secure.

• Take advantage of technologies that enhance your security and privacy when you use the Internet, such as digital signatures, data encryption, and “anonymizing” services.

• Pay attention to your billing cycle. If credit card or utility bills fail to arrive, contact the companies to ensure that they have not been illicitly redirected.

• Notify creditors immediately if your identification or credit cards are lost or stolen.

• Access your credit report from a credit reporting agency once a year to ensure it’s accurate and doesn’t include debts or activities you haven’t authorized or incurred.

• Ask that your accounts require passwords before any inquiries or changes can be made, whenever possible.

• Choose difficult passwords — not your mother’s maiden name. Memorize them, change them often. Don’t write them down and leave them in your wallet, or some equally obvious place.

• Key in personal identification numbers privately when you use direct purchase terminals, bank machines, or telephones.

• Find out if your cardholder agreement offers protection from credit card fraud; you may be able to avoid taking on the identity thief’s debts.

• Be careful what you throw out. Burn or shred personal financial information such as statements, credit card offers, receipts, insurance forms, etc. Insist that businesses you deal with do the same.

Are you a victim of identity theft?
• Report the crime to the police immediately. Ask for a copy of the police report so that you can provide proof of the theft to the organizations that you will have to contact later.

• Take steps to undo the damage. Avoid “credit-repair” companies: there is usually nothing they can do, and some have been known to propose a solution — establishing credit under a new identity — that is itself fraudulent.

• Document the steps you take and the expenses you incur to clear your name and re-establish your credit.

• Cancel your credit cards and get new ones issued. Ask the creditors about accounts tampered with or opened fraudulently in your name.

• Have your credit report annotated to reflect the identity theft. Do a follow-up check three months after to ensure that someone has not tried to use your identity again.

• Close your bank accounts and open new ones. Insist on password-only access to them.

• Get new bank machine and telephone calling cards, with new passwords or personal identification numbers.

• In the case of passport theft, advise the Passport Office.

• Contact Canada Post if you suspect that someone is diverting your mail.

• Advise your telephone, cable, and utilities that someone using your name could try to open new accounts fraudulently.

• Get a new driver’s license.

If you suspect that someone has been using your SIN to get a job, or that your SIN has been compromised in some other way, contact Service Canada at:
Service Canada
Social Insurance Registration Office
P.O. Box 7000
Bathurst, New Brunswick E2A 4T1

To find out more about your privacy rights, call the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada toll-free at 1-800-282-1376, or write:
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner
112 Kent Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 1H3

This blog was completed, in part, by tips from The Office of the Privacy Commissioner and the Ministry of Small Business and Consumer Services –I encourage you to visit both Public Services websites and become an Informed Individual

By Sherry McCourt, CFE – McCourt and Associates

Have you ever felt frightened or anxious when out walking alone? Have you ever wondered what you should do if approached by an attacker?

The alarming reality is that we live in an increasingly violent world in which the fear of crime is ever-present. Personal safety has become an issue of importance for everyone, but especially for women.
The following are a few safety practices that every woman should know and use.

Awareness: The first and probably most important factor in self-defense is awareness: awareness of yourself, your surroundings, and your potential attacker’s likely line of attack.
The potential attacker’s primary plot is to use the advantage of surprise. Studies have shown that attackers are skilled at choosing targets that appear to be unaware of what is going on around them. By being aware of your surroundings and by projecting a strong and confident presence, many altercations which are common on the streets can be avoided.

Use Your Sixth Sense. “Sixth sense” “Women’s Intuition” Whatever you choose to call it, is a powerful subconscious insight into situations and people. All of us, particularly women, have this gift, but very few of us pay any attention to it. Learn to trust this power and use it to your full advantage. Avoid a person or a situation which does not “feel” safe–you’re probably right. If you think someone is following you, check by crossing the street – more than once if necessary – to see if he follows you. If you are still worried, get to the nearest place where there are other people – and call the police.

Escape: Always Your Best Option. What if you are suddenly confronted by a predator who demanded that you go with him? It would seem wise to obey (especially if he promises not to hurt you), but leaving the initial crime scene ensures that you are far more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Escaping by whatever means possible, be it by screaming fire, hitting your attacker in the eyes, throat, groin, or by throwing your purse or bags in his face and running the other way.

Your Right to Fight: Although your best option is to escape. It is important to understand that you can and should defend yourself physically. You have a right to do so, even if the attacker is only threatening you and hasn’t physically attacked first. Aim for the eyes first (poke and gouge) and the groin second (squeeze and pull or kick/knee hard). Try to use the element of surprise to your advantage–strike quickly, be strong and confident in your actions. You may only get one chance. Then run away. Escape to a safe place (this means anywhere where there are other people)

Self-Defense Training: The self-defense program should include simulated assaults, with fully padded instructors in realistic rape and attack scenarios; this will allow you to practice what you’ve learned. (And continue to practice).

Take the next few minutes…. Think about your safety, try to visualize how you would react to someone threatening your safety… now know how you will react, be strong and confident in your choices…

To quote H. Stanley Judd
“The ultimate security is your understanding of reality”

By Sherry McCourt, CFE – McCourt and Associates

From good old-fashioned locks to high-tech electronic countermeasures, there’s much more to real home security than having a monitored alarm system.

An extremely common form of home invasion is the “push-in” robbery. In this scenario, one criminal shows up at your door pretending to have legitimate business, to be lost or seeking emergency assistance. As soon as a member of your family opens the door to see what he wants, he shoulders his way through, often accompanied by multiple armed companions. The person at the door is commonly the first to be brutalized in this type of assault.

The first line of physical defense of your home should be solid doors in solid frames with good locks.

Two of the most useful defensive items are intercoms and remote switches.

Intercoms let you communicate with family members in other rooms. They also allow you to project your voice into other rooms in the house without giving your own position away. Intercoms can, if budget and family privacy views allow, offer the option of listening to what is going on in any room in the house.

Remote switches for interior or exterior lights can be activated from a radio console, which should be kept near the door of the “safe room.” (The safe room is a “fortified” room the family understands will be the gathering point for all members if security is breached by intruders.) These switches allow you to control light in any room in the house. You can keep yourselves in the invisible darkness, while lighting up the intruders and denying them much of the concealment they want.

Imagine that you are the intruder. You are two rooms into the house when the lights start going on and off around you. A disembodied voice booms, “Intruders! Do not move! Police are coming! The technology required for this level of home security is surprisingly affordable.

Let’s assume that the above stated scenario happens, let us also assume that we manage to escape from the intruders and lock ourselves in a room in our home other then the safe room.
Items such as spices (chili spice), salts, flours etc, in the kitchen are a great way to blur the intruder’s sense of sight making it easier for you to run. In the bathroom, the use of air freshener sprayed in their eyes or the toilet cleaning brush used to strike the throat or temple may allow you enough time to get away. Remember the main objective is to place enough distance between you and your attacker as possible.

There is absolutely no material object more valuable than the life of you or your family. Staying to defend your brand new DVD player will more than likely get you seriously hurt if not killed.

With the affordability of modern technology, there is no longer an excuse to open the door to someone you don’t recognize. Go beyond the minimum-recommended peephole and get a closed circuit video camera. This allows you to see the person at the door. Couple this with the above stated intercom system and you can now see, hear and speak to the person without jeopardizing your own safety.

A “monitored” alarm system can be one of your most reliable cries for help. With the option of a wireless panic button, you can activate the alarm system from anywhere in the house.

The security industry polices itself pretty well, but it’s still a good idea to get recommendations from the crime prevention board of your local police department.

Police dispatch, Patrol Division and your local crime prevention boards will know who the fly-by-night alarm salesmen are, and who installs alarms so poorly that they generate a multitude of false alarms.

There are other services readily available from almost every local police department. You can request what is called a “CPTED survey.” A trained officer and / or civilian will be sent to your home to help you make sure you have the best possible defenses against intruders.

The officer will make recommendations for closing any neglected elements that could be exploited by a burglar. In addition, this officer and / or civilian will usually be happy to answer questions about burglary patterns and home invasions in your neighborhood and community.

Some additional thoughts in closing:

Close the blinds on your windows at night. A burglar will look in at what you have for the taking, just like when we go window-shopping.

Learn how to move around your home in the dark. Count how many steps it takes to get from your bedroom to external doors. Learn to quietly feel your way around. If you are up in the middle of the night to get a drink, or go to the bathroom, practice walking in the dark. This will give you the advantage over the intruder, you will be able to move quickly and undetected through your home and to your safe room or through an exit to safety.

For people who live in a two story or raised ranch homes, you may want to invest in a safety illuminated wand (glow sticks) with a spspare house key attached to it. In the event that you are trapped in an upstairs bedroom you can drop this outside your window for the local authorities use. You may decide to take this a step further and have your home floor plan shrunk and affixed to the “glow stick”, this way the local authorities have a key and a layout of your home. Hopefully you will be on the cell phone with police dispatch from your “safe room” and will be able to direct the officer’s right to the intruder’s.

In the end your most valuable possession is your life, a priceless, fragile spirit, to be protected. Understanding the potential threats is your greatest security tool. Following through with that knowledge is your armor.