Being aware of your surroundings can help you identify potential threats, especially in situations where you might not perceive one.
That’s the main skill the Naperville Police Department is focusing on for its latest “A Safer Naper” campaign: “See Something, Say Something.”
“This month we would like to remind our residents to increase their situational awareness,” said Julie Smith, a crime prevention specialist for the Naperville Police Department. “Situational awareness is being aware of your surroundings and what’s going on. It can be identifying potential threats, hazards, things like that.”
Police hope this will encourage residents to report suspicious behavior to the police department.
They cited several incidents in the past year where residents helped the police do their jobs.
The examples ranged from helping locate a lost senior citizen to calling 9-1-1 to report an attempted home burglary.
“You want to look for any suspicious activities or suspicious persons,” said Smith. “Also you want to trust your instincts – that’s very important because if something’s not right with you, you feel it inside and you should really trust your instincts.”
Smith also said if you do feel unsafe, you should remove yourself from the situation and contact police as soon as possible.
Any situation can become dangerous and it’s good to have an exit strategy in mind, especially out in public.
“Whether it’s a festival, you’re at a movie theater or a grocery store or parking lot – you always want to be aware of your surroundings,” said Smith.
The police department also encourages residents to sign up for Naper Notify, which can alert you to emergency situations.
Naperville News 17’s Casey Krajewski reports.