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Want to be safe? Have a plan

Expert on criminals offers safety tips in wake of recent home invasion

Date published: 8/28/2009

By PAMELA GOULD

Former FBI agent Clint Van Zandt did some serial killer name-dropping, provided a primer on the proper terms for different kinds of killers, and even danced a quick soft-shoe before launching this week into the nitty-gritty of how to keep yourself and your home safe.

Van Zandt, a Spotsylvania County resident who served as an FBI hostage negotiator and worked in the profiling unit during his 25-year-career, spoke to about 75 people at St. Patrick Catholic Church on Tuesday, one day after a home invasion burglary in a rural area of Culpeper County.

Van Zandt now operates a threat-assessment business and frequently appears as an expert on cable news programs. He appeared for free at the Battlefield Council Knights of Columbus meeting.

After providing a brief history of criminal profiling, Van Zandt delivered tips for personal safety.

He stressed that home invaders are dangerous people intent on harm. And he got surprised reactions when he shared what he'd do if his home were invaded.

"I can't leave my family," he said most people think.

"Yes, you can!" Van Zandt said.

"Go! If you really want to help your family survive, go. Get help."

His wife of 40 years, Diane, was seated in the front row for the talk and didn't flinch when she heard her husband's plan.

She shouldn't have been surprised, given that Van Zandt stressed the importance of having a plan and having everyone in the family aware of it.

Van Zandt said he can't tell people what to do and noted that every situation is different, but he emphasized that people need to prepare.

"Folks, in these worst-case scenarios, you're fighting for your life," he said. "The best weapon you have is your mind. The best defense is planning."

Home invasions involve three options, he said. People can resist their attackers, comply and hope not to get hurt, or flee and seek help.

"There are no set rules," Van Zandt said. "I'm giving you options."

Pamela Gould: 540/735-1972
Email: pgould@freelancestar.com

People who become victims of home invasions often find themselves taken into vehicles as part of the crime. Below are retired FBI agent Clint Van Zandt's tips for understanding and dealing with home invasion burglaries, kidnappings and carjackings. DEFINITIONS Home invasion burglars versus traditional burglars: Traditional burglars--want property without encountering anyone. They don't usually have weapons and are often teens or junkies. Home invasion burglars--target their victims based on something that caught their attention. Many of these crimes are committed against people involved in drug dealing. In those cases criminals hope to find drugs, and their advantage is that those victims aren't likely to report the crime. Home invasions generally involve multiple people and multiple weapons, and the criminals intend to harm the victims. THE M.O. How home invaders get inside your home: Through your front door, either by force or because it's unlocked. Solution: Keep doors locked. Use deadbolts with steel reinforcement on door frames. Through the garage. They wait until the door goes up and then enter. Solution: Be aware. Through sliding glass doors. Solution: Use dowels or other devices to prevent doors from being opened by intruders. Through subterfuge. They claim to be there for some legitimate reason. Solution: Don't open the door to strangers. If it's someone claiming to be making a delivery, call the company to confirm that they're legitimate before opening the door. Dial 911 if concerned. For home invasions and burglaries: Carry a cell phone and car keys to a bedroom with you. A cell phone can be used if the phone line is cut. Pressing a panic button on car keys will alert neighbors and attract attention. If you have a home alarm, set it. Never let a stranger inside. If someone claims to be there with a delivery, call the company to confirm it before opening the door. Never indicate you're alone. Pretend someone else is there. Example: "I need to ask my husband." Don't be taken from your home. The second scene is always worse. Confronted by a kidnapper: Know in advance what you'll do. Your best weapon is your mind. Discuss the plan with your spouse and your children. Rehearse it. Try not to allow yourself to be taken to a second location. Have a "duress" code for family members to use on the phone. Everyone in the family should know a word or phrase to use in a phone conversation that tells others they're in a bad situation. Example: A child with no sisters could tell her parents, "Tell my sister Sarah I won't be able to meet her at the mall." Facing a knife or gun: Flee. Van Zandt said police miss the target with their first shots 75 percent of the time. Criminals miss with their first shots 95 percent of the time. Even if hit, it's better to be hurt and get treatment where you fall than to be abducted. Toss your wallet or purse one direction, your keys another and then run a third direction. Force the criminal to make a choice. Someone tries to take you into a vehicle: If you're alone and on foot, run the opposite direction from the way the vehicle is facing. The criminal would need to turn around, and most won't. If you're with someone, have each person go a different direction. The criminal won't want to pursue one person given that others will be able to identify him and his vehicle. "We want to make a bad guy do a cost-benefit analysis and go the other way." Taken into a vehicle: If in the passenger seat, employ one of these options: Immediately jump out. Injuries are better than death. Wreck the car by grabbing the steering wheel or flooring the accelerator. Crawl into the back seat. The abductor can't watch you and the road at the same time. Then jump out. Grab the gear shift and shove the car into reverse. Grab the keys and toss them out the window. If placed in a trunk, look for the trunk-release handle. If there isn't one, begin pulling out every wire to disconnect lights and turn signals in effort to attract the attention of police to pull over the car.

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Date published: 8/28/2009

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