How do you find the wolves hiding in society? How do you spot people that are trying to prey on others? At first, it’s not easy, but with a little practice (you should be practicing), it becomes easy. Here are a couple tips:
Notice Normal
What do normal everyday people look like and act like in your area or around you? The old cop story is you should pay attention to the guy that is wearing a trench coat in Aug. when it’s over one hundred degrees, as portrayed in Beverly Hills Cop (the original movie) below.
Of course, it’s almost never that easy, but you get the idea. Now most criminals that have been doing crimes for a while have figured out how to blend in. They look more like the people around them.
Look for Those Looking to Victimize Someone
When you look at someone, try to figure out why they are there. Do they have a logical reason to be where they are? Or is it something you can’t figure out? People that are waiting for someone make me nervous because I can’t tell why they are at that spot at that time. Beware of people using ploys. Criminals may stand next to a bus bench to look like they are waiting for the bus but really are looking for victims.
The Look
Every criminal has a “look.” It’s an excited and scared look. Think back to high school when you were around your friends for a big game, you were going to ask the girl out for the first time, or when a big important test was coming. They looked a little different than usual. Criminals have the same problem.
Mostly it’s an adrenaline rush they are trying to hide from the world. Criminals get excited and scared before a crime, too (well, at least most do). Some of us have that same thing happen at our job when the boss calls you in for no reason, or you are about to close the big deal. Victimizing people is what criminals do. It’s their job and they enjoy it for the excitement and big score.
When anyone gets an adrenaline rush, the body goes through some changes. The eyes generally dilate. The person generally stands taller. They have a nervous energy that they can’t get rid of. The energy might show up as fidgeting, hopping from foot to foot, or having the shakes. These signs are really hard to hide. The better the criminal, the better they are at hiding it.
Position
Most criminals will take a position of advantage. Like standing to the side of a door so you have to walk past them, your back is to them and you can’t see them right away.
Criminals will also want a location that they can see but not be seen. The location would allow them to see most, if not everything, that is going around them. Kind of like us sitting with our backs to a wall facing the door in a restaurant.
They will also want an escape route if the police show up, or if 10 of your friends show up. So they may be near an exit or outside with an open way to run.
Friends
Look for their friends. Sometimes criminals give themselves away by being too close or too far away from each other. They may split up like the video above, or stand leaning on each other so no one hears what they are saying.
Their “friends” come in many varieties. One could simply be a lookout for the police or anyone else coming. One guy may be a director or a “fluffer” (for lack of a better term, and it seems to fit). This guy may be there to simply be the brains and make the muscle act. He won’t actually do anything himself but will be telling his accomplice what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. The term fluffer seems like an appropriate way to describe one of these people, but I just made it up. The last type of friend will be a helper. One guy is always in charge and the other guy will be taking direction from him (there is always an alpha).
Either way, be looking for groups of people that are together, but aren’t standing together like a normal group of people would be.
Movement
A criminal will move with a confidence and air to them that just stinks. It just doesn’t look right. They are strutting around like they own the joint but trying not to be noticed.
They will generally move around like they know where they are going because they like to operate in areas they know.
They may have friends in the area (like actual people they hang out with). They may know an employee or someone that lives in the area. They will try to use that as their excuse/reason for being there.
A huge tell from a criminal is they will generally straighten up and ready themselves as their victim comes near. If you see the guy standing against the wall in the dark and someone starts walking by and suddenly he stands up straight for no reason, that person is probably about to be victimized. Don’t let it be you.
The last giveaway on a criminal’s movement is that they will generally leave when a police officer shows up or someone with authority notices them. That could be simply a store employee asking them if they need help finding anything, or it could be you just saying hello as you walk by. I’ll do this all the time to people that just don’t look right. I just say, “Hi, how are you doing?” I don’t care about their vocal response, I’m looking at their physical response to see what they do and how they act. Try it sometime.
All of these have happened to me multiple times and probably to you, also. Try to see it coming and pick out those hunters hanging around. They are always there, even if you don’t see them. The more you practice, the easier it is to find them. Start practicing today!
Stay Safe,
Ben
another great article. There is a sense, I get from people. Like you said, they try and cover it up, but something is off. It takes practice, but in these time it is vital to make sure you have the advantage of situational awareness.
Now is a good time to practice in case times do go bad.