Sheeple - is 911 your best bet?

We have become accustomed to letting others handle our safety. We believe that somehow the police will save us. If that is truly the case, why do we also say, "There is never a cop around when you need one"?
Not to mention that Police and Fire services are some of the first for budget cuts when times get tough. Have you ever wondered why? I can tell you, it is because the police are NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR INDIVIDUAL SAFETY...they are charged with the Safety of the Society as a whole.
If you want a personal protection type police force, we would have to have 3 officer for every 4 people (one officer per 8 hour shift, 3 shifts in one day). In the State of Utah, that would be approximately 217500 police officers in Utah alone (Utah's population is approximately 2.9 million) and if we pay them $30,000 a year, that would come to $65.25 BILLION for law enforcement only... To put this in perspective, the entire Utah State Budget for 2010 will be around $10 billion... You think taxes are bad right now?
There is a book, "Dial 911 and Die" that explains the problems with expecting or relying on the police to protect us.
The sad part is, we are told, by the police, to do nothing but dial 911... to acquiesce to the criminal and, essentially, become sheep.
Salt Lake City: Crime Tips
Under the section "If you are attacked or robbed: " you will find the following advice:

If the attacker is after your property, don't resist.

I refuse to be a Victim. You have the right to NOT be a victim. It is YOUR CHOICE.

Don't escalate this crime into a violent encounter.

If you are being robbed or attacked, it is already a violent encounter. You have every right to protect yourself and your property. You don't have to be a victim.
You will find similar advice from just about any and every Law Enforcement agency in the country. They give you a false sense of security. They cannot be with you 24/7/365, it just isn't possible...
Earlier this week, Shauna Lake, one of the reporters of Channel 2 News (KUTV) did a small piece on guns, it is called "Shauna Lake Learns How to Shoot". In it, she says that they cannot advocate that you go out and learn to shoot, get a Concealed Weapons Permit, and use a Gun for Self Defense... maybe I am just different, but I think that is exactly what people should be advocating. The police cannot protect you, it isn't their job (their job is "to society" not "to the individual"), it isn't their responsibility. It is YOUR responsibility, however, and one that you should take seriously.
Something you should know;
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, only 17% of the 4.7 million crimes in the US were committed with a gun. That works out to be 799000 crimes committed with a gun.
According to Researchers John Lott and Gary Kleck, legally owned firearms are used 2 to 3 million (2.5 million or so) times to PREVENT a crime from happening. Someone once estimated that the number was actually much higher, but we don't have hard statistics on that.
As you can see, people OTHER THAN COPS are doing a whole lot to help deter crime.
Criminals are cowards. they prey on the weak. This is something that any predator will do. Look at the Lion...does he eat other lions? No, he finds a smaller or defenceless animal to eat.
Why work harder than you have to?
The problem is, people (more specifically, the Bad Guys) find people that won't or don't fight back...the Police are telling you to not fight back... they are setting you up to be a victim. If people fought back, if they made the effort to tell the Bad Guys that "we aren't victims", the Bad Guys would go find easier prey, find something better to do...or they would find out the penalty for their crimes...either way, the threat is removed from society.
For more information on this subject, you can see the Civilian Self-Defence Gun Blog, it is a collection of the stories that you may or may not hear about "normal people" using their firearms to prevent crime.

If you think you are safe in your neighborhood, then you haven't been paying attention.
In the past few months, these are where some of the reported crimes have happened:
Rite Aid, Sinclair Store, Black Diamond, Check Into Cash, Tobacco Store, Wells Fargo Bank, Mountain America Credit Union, Golden West Credit Union, First National Bank, Deseret First Credit Union, Cyprus Credit Union, Southwood Pharmacy, Zion's Bank, 7-11, Family Dollar, Chuck-a-Rama, Far West Bank, Maverik Store, Tri-Mart, Boost Mobile, E-Z Loan, Wal-Mart, Pioneer Park, Ruelas Envios Y Multiservicios, Mormon Craft Store, Hampton Inn, Sam's Magazine and Video, Bob's Magazine, Key Bank, US Bank, Behive Credit Union, Washington Federal CU, Chase Bank, Henries Dry Cleaners, Holladay Pharmacy, Mr. Roberts the Cleaner, Walgreens, 5 Buck Pizza, Gift Basket Affairs, the U of U, Arctic Circle, some small restaurants and convenience stores, and HOMES in Logan, Ogden, Salt Lake, and Provo... there are many other locations, just see THESE GUYS for more information.

If you use any of these places for any reason, you could be the target of a crime. There is no way to know when or where a crime might happen, and that is one of the biggest reasons that we cannot rely on the police to be there for us.

Now, if you are ever involved in a Self-Defense situation and use your gun, there are a few things you should know.

1 - Most legal uses of a gun go unreported, just like many crimes.
2 - The first to dial 911 is the "victim" (i.e. is NOT the Bad Guy)
3 - If you carry a gun, you should also carry a cell phone.
4 - If you have just shot someone, call 911 state that you were attacked and to send an ambulance and the police (in that order). If they want clarification, you state the Bad Guy has been shot and needs medical attention.
5 - When the police arrive, give them the essential details: I was attacked, I defended myself, I responded according to my training.
6 - You next statement is important: I am "shook up" and I will gladly cooperate with your investigation fully - AFTER I have had time to calm down and when I have talked to an attorney.
(these are the same rights the police have, and they are YOUR rights as well)
7 - DO NOT volunteer any more information or you may find yourself in trouble.
8 - Contact an attorney and have them explain it to the police.
9 - Never forget, YOU were the "victim" (i.e. NOT the Bad Guy) and the other person was the aggressor.
10 - You were scared for your life, and felt that deadly force was the only way.

I hope this information is useful.

<<>>
Woman robbed at Provo gas station - December 2nd, 2009 @ 7:16am

Woman Wakes Up To Man In Her Bedroom - Monday, Nov 30, 2009 @11:48pm CST

Intoxicated man breaks in, fondles woman - December 8th, 2009 @ 11:13am

Armed men break into Ogden home during early-morning hours - December 8th, 2009 @ 4:08pm

Man critically injured in Woods Cross stabbing - December 17th, 2009 @ 9:57pm

Nevada man arrested for robbing woman in Tremonton - December 15th, 2009 @ 1:14pm

Roommates fend off would-be robber - December 20th, 2009 @ 3:40pm

Cab driver attacked in Salt Lake City - December 20th, 2009 @ 2:55pm

Would-be victims fight back against thieves - December 22nd, 2009 @ 12:16pm