A Safer Naper

October - Practicing Situational Awareness

This month, the Naperville Police Department’s “A Safer Naper” campaign encourages everyone to be alert and mindful of their surroundings.

It may sound easy, but with the speed at which our lives move these days and the number of distractions we encounter on a regular basis, it’s far more difficult than one might realize. Using sound situational awareness skills will help you be more aware of what is taking place around you, which in turn can help you avoid being in dangerous situations or even identify criminal behavior. 

Here are three steps to break down the basics of situational awareness:

1. Perception: observe and gather information as to what is happening around you.
2. Comprehension: understand how the happenings could impact your current goals and safety.
3. Projection: using the current happenings, anticipate future actions and taking proactive action.

Additional tips to help you hone your situational awareness skillset:

• Pay attention to your surroundings. Look beyond your immediate location. By looking 30 feet or farther in front of you. Your brain can identify things that seem “off” and the extra distance gives you time to react to an unexpected situation.
• Constantly scan left, right and behind. Just don’t look forward, take in the whole environment. This will connect you to where you are and actively raise your awareness. It also shows criminals that you’re not an easy target.
• Avoid complacency. Assuming everything is under control will affect your vigilance. You have to actively keep yourself in the right mindset. When things are slow, or tasks are routine complacency usually occurs. One way to combat complacency is to alter your travel routes. By changing things up, it keeps your attention level higher and gives you the opportunity to see things you might otherwise miss.
• Do not look like a victim. Your body language, posture and eye contact and projected confidence (even when you are uncomfortable) go a long way in telling would-be criminals that you are not an easy victim.
• Learn to predict events. The most effective aspect of situational awareness involves the ability to project the future actions of elements around you. Use this information to think ahead and determine how it will affect future actions and events in the environment.
• Identify elements around you. Start by noticing the threats that surround you. Then expand your awareness to other non-threatening elements. This is the most basic level of situational awareness where you begin to monitor, detect and recognize multiple situational elements. These include objects, events, people and environmental factors.
• Keep your head up. Walking with your eyes glued to a mobile device or other distraction significantly decreases your ability to take in what’s happening around you or notice potential danger.
• Put your phone away. While phones keep us connected to the world, they can be a distraction. Looking at your phone more than paying attention to your surroundings it makes you an easier target.
• Use your peripheral vision. This takes practice but try maintaining your point of focus while using your peripheral vision to monitor a wider degree of space to be more aware of what’s happening around you.
• Don’t just look. See. We all scan a room when we enter, but are you taking notice of where the exits are, whether there are any unattended or out-of-place objects around or if you notice anyone acting suspiciously?
• Use reflective surfaces. Instead of looking through a store window to the merchandise inside, look at the window to see the reflection of what’s behind you or outside of your peripheral vision.
• Limit situational overload. Overload causes distraction, increases errors and high stress. Prioritizing, delegating tasks and minimizing distractions can improve survival during times of overload.
• Actively prevent fatigue. Fatigue affects your ability to watch for possible danger or difficulties. By adopting proactive strategies, you can minimize the chances of experiencing fatigue and maintain optimal energy levels.
• A confused mind is your worst enemy. When in confusion, you tend to overlook clues that could help you. You get distracted, make mistakes and increase the confidence of a potentially threatening person. Clear your mind.
• Use your senses. One of the excellent ways to improve your situational awareness is to turn on your senses. You need to utilize sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste to strengthen your power of observation.
• Trust your instincts/feelings. Your inner self has a way of alerting you to potential danger. You just have to listen to it. If you are uncomfortable for any reason, remove yourself from the situation, speak up to a friend/coworker/store employee or, if you think a crime is about to be committed, call 9-1-1.
• Continually assess the situation. When you are in a survival situation always be prepared for changes around you. Continually assess and reassess the situation to determine if you are giving yourself the best possible chance for survival. Learn what nature, land, and new tasks are telling you, before you find yourself in a difficult situation.

Most importantly, situational awareness is not about being fearful. It’s about being present. By paying attention and staying connected to our surroundings, we can make safer choices for ourselves and those around us.

Practicing situational awareness can help you avoid being in dangerous situations and even identify criminal behavior. The more aware we are of what’s going on around us, the less opportunity there will be for accidents, crimes or other unfortunate circumstances.