Personal security
Staying safe and low-profile when things turn lawless or dangerous.
The basics
- Avoid trouble rather than face it. Most harm happens to people who get close to crowds, confrontations or looting.
- Do not advertise what you have. Keep stockpiles, generators and fuel out of sight. Do not post about your supplies or plans online.
- Stay together. Agree that nobody goes out alone during unrest.
- Property can be replaced. People cannot. If confronted by someone demanding goods or money, hand them over.
At home during unrest
- Lock doors and windows, including the back door, gate and shed.
- Close curtains; use rooms at the back of the house for light at night.
- Keep keys and phones in a known place, ready for a quick exit.
- Bring bins, ladders and garden tools inside, so they cannot be used against you.
- Park the van where it is least visible, or block it in if you can.
- Get to know your neighbours. A street that looks out for each other is much safer.
Out and about
- Plan your route and avoid town centres, protests and crowds.
- Walk with confidence and awareness; phone away, headphones out.
- Go in daylight where possible.
- Keep a little cash and a cheap phone in your pocket, separate from your main wallet.
- If you see trouble starting, leave early and calmly, away from the crowd, not through it.
If you are caught in a crowd
- Stay on your feet. Move diagonally across the flow, towards the edge.
- Keep your arms up in front of your chest to protect your breathing space.
- Do not stop to pick up things you drop.
If someone breaks in
- Get the family into one room with a lock, ideally with a phone. Call 999.
- Make noise so they know the house is occupied; many intruders leave.
- UK law allows you to use reasonable force to protect yourself and others, but avoiding confrontation is always the safer option.
At home
- Good locks on all doors and windows, and a door chain or viewer, are worth more than gadgets.
- Motion-sensor lights at the back and side of the house.
In the van
- Park in busy, well-lit places or established campsites, not isolated lay-bys, when the situation is tense.
- Park facing the way out, so you can leave without reversing.
- Lock the doors when inside, especially at night.
- Keep the keys in the same place every night, within reach.
- Avoid stopping in or driving through areas with unrest.
Get ready before it happens
- Good locks on all doors and windows
- Agree a family "safe room" with a lock
- Agreed family code word for "leave now, do not ask questions"
- Spare car and house keys kept somewhere safe
- Supplies stored out of sight
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