Up until now, officers would respond to a domestic violence call and not know if it was a first time occurrence or if the household had an ongoing history of domestic violence or a restraining order was in force.

The hope is that by arming responding officers with this background they will calibrate their responses accordingly.

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If you are like many people I know, you are eagerly scanning the newspaper for great Black Friday deals.

Know that if you are headed out to the mall, that predators are out scanning you to see if you and your purse are easy pickings. Heavy crowds and traffic work in their favor.

While you track down the delicious bargains, are you paying attention to your surroundings? Are you keeping an eye on your purse and holding it securely? Are you carrying lots of heavy packages? Did you lock your car before making the hike to the mall entrance from the nether reaches of the huge parking lot where your car is parked?

Before you set foot outside, read my article Self Defense and Women – 12 Tips for Personal Safety

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The granting of the request came as a surprise to Swiss legal experts and US authorities. He will be subject to house arrest where he will be confined to his chalet in the exclusive winter resort of Gstaad. According to the AP, Polanski offered up a bank guarantee and the threat of forfeiting his family’s home.

Stay tuned.

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I haven’t been able to confirm whether the following story is true or apocryphal, but it does contain some valuable lessons.

A woman’s pocketbook was stolen. It contained her GPS, cell phone, wallet, credit cards…

When she was finally able to call her husband 20 minutes later to tell him what happened, he told her he had gotten a text message asking about their PIN number to which he had replied. When they rushed to the bank, they were told that the money in their account had already been withdrawn.

Tip: Don’t put your actual address in your “home” setting. Instead use a nearby address, so no one can find your actual home address if your GPS is stolen.

Tip: Don’t disclose the actual relationship of people in your cell phone’s contact list, ie. don’t use names like Homey, Hubby, Mom, Dad, etc.

Tip: If you are texted to meet someone or to forward sensitive information, call them back to confirm that they were the one who actually sent the request. If you can’t reach them, be wary about meeting them at the proposed location.

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That means putting enough value upon yourself that you will value your right to safety over the possibility of doing harm to another. Carrying the mindset that your right to your life and bodily integrity is paramount will allow you to take whatever measures you need to survive.

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You have access to many everyday objects that can be used in a pinch with devastating effectiveness.

There are many advantages to using everyday objects as weapons.

They are easily accessible. This is important when most attacks are completed in seconds.

Everyday objects are non-threatening. The attacker is more likely to be caught off-guard by your use of a ballpoint pen as opposed to a knife.

If you are not comfortable with carrying and using more traditional weapons such as pepper spray or a gun, you probably would not think twice about carrying a couple ounces of cologne in a spray vial.

Unlike guns, no laws restrict your ability to carry a ballpoint pen or keys.

As any prison guard will tell you, with creativity and imagination nearly everything can be turned into a weapon.

In the event of attack, you want something you can use quickly and effectively.

Since you will not have time to rummage through your pocketbook, make it a practice to hold something in your hand that you can use to defend yourself.

Other everyday objects that can be effectively used as weapons defense include spray perfume or cologne.

Perfume or cologne in a spray vial can be used like pepper spray. Aim it at your attacker’s eyes. Then use the precious seconds to run.

Hot liquids thrown at your attacker’s face such as coffee and tea are effective, too.

Keys can be used to scratch a face, poke out an eye or stuffed into the soft tissue of his throat.

Throwing a coin away from you will distract your attacker for the few seconds you need for escape.

Lastly, a ballpoint pen can be jammed into his throat, groin, or eyes with devastating impact.

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“Fighting back” is a difficult and uncomfortable subject for many women to think about, but it does not have to be that way. The concept is easy to understand.  It’s your life or his comfort.  He has no right to be comfortable when he is assaulting you.

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The first rule in self-defense is to not put yourself into a situation that would put you in danger. And the easiest way to do that is to stay aware of people in your surroundings.

Not surprisingly, criminals exhibit predatory behavior in preparing to attack. They will try to pick a casual location to look for their prey. They will look at with their intended victim far more and for longer periods of time than social norms. They will move when the prey moves.

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Their rationale? The Government shouldn’t be writing the contracts of private companies–even when those companies are contractors of the US government receiving taxpayer money.

If you are not familiar with the story, a 19 year old Halliburton employee was gang raped, then forced into a locker when she attempted to report the crime. When she finally returned to the US she went public amd tried to sue her employer. Halliburton defended itself by pointing to a clause in its employment contract denying employees recourse in the judicial system.

Thankfully, the amendment passed. In the words of John Stewart “isn’t that a no-brainer?”

Kudos to the brave woman for standing up. That anyone could defend such a state of affairs is appalling, and a statement of how far we have yet to go.

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