Criminals wear camouflage too

[Lone Ranger]

Cammo762 and I had a nice long chat using postmortem style analyses for recent criminal incidents which have either hit mainstream media or been reported/witnessed by reliable sources. I agreed to write an article on the topic but that's when i realized that I do not have value to add, I do not have solutions for anyone, its something extremely difficult to prepare for ('cos we insist on remaining as good people with good hearts and normal lives as far as possible) and to be honest, no matter what sort of preparation I attempt to make, I cannot wrap myself around this.

Lacking in eloquent speech and eloquent english. I didn't want any written argument being misunderstood. So...

What am I talking about???

CRIMINALS ARE USING CAMOUFLAGE!!!

Recent incidents had the following in common (to mention a few):

• The shooting in Lenasia where an Imam of a Mosque was shot in the arm on a sunday evening had the assailants wearing stylish suits;
• The Fordsburg hijacking-gone-good had one perp dressed in a City Power uniform;
• A recent armed robbery south of JHB saw the robbers arriving in a vehicle marked as City Power;
• The whole "blue light squad" saga;
• The way too often recurring incident of people in SAPS uniforms robbing people;
• A Muslim Gunsiter had an armed robbery where the goons all wore traditional Islamic attire, namely the kurta/long dress for men;
• The disguise of poverty/begging;
• ... and the list goes on...

how to prepare for it???... I have no flipping idea!!!

however... i do refuse to hate everyone! I do insist on being prepared but not paranoid! And I also succumb to the fact that I need to use the remaining burst of brain power daily to be tactically alert.

Your comments???

[Skaaphaas]

Like Paul once quoted someone. Be professional, be courteous, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

Edit, in hindsight, I have to say that my post was a bit facetious. It is an easy cliché, but definitely not the answer to the OP, who makes a very good point.

I think it just another thing to keep in mind, be aware that this happens and never assume people are who they look like.

[Gunservant]

This is a hard question. It is important I suppose to constantly be aware of people and things that are out of place/do not belong. That goes beyond what clothes they are wearing: how they conduct themselves, what are they carrying, how are they standing or walking...all they need to do is buy enough time under your radar to strike when you're not looking at them. I don't know the answer, but suspecting everyone all the time until proven otherwise will probably serve you well.

[Lian]

Like Paul once quoted someone. Be professional, be courteous, have a plan to kill everyone you meet..

hahahaha, classic.
can already see that little torretjie working overtime while walking down the street
you... hmm.
def you and you.
maybe him....
etc

[Corné]

The enimy is walking amongs us and come in all dress forms. They blend into sociaty and use whatever is around them to get an advantage...including wearing police uniforms!

Lone Ranger...I hear your 'cry' and this is a very difficult dimension of the crimanal face! They do not walk around with banners around them announcing their true identity and that is waht makes things so difficult.

The criminal mind knows that he needs to blend into sociaty and is the proverbial wolf in sheeps clothes and that is why danger can come from any direction at any time in any form.

Big problem....are you ready to shoot a "police officer" because that is a posible option that you might face?

Thinks about it...what would happen if we start to do reality training where we use target that look like police, muslem, municipal workers or whatever! It is a reality that you may have to face such a situation and the question is...have you faced that reality in your minf and are you ready to act on such a situation?

And let's not forget....the posibility of use of body armour by the criminal!

[Bushboy]

Profiling is an aide, but if you profile on appearances only you risk falling into the stereotype trap. When you profile you have to look at behaviour, eyes, focus and connections. Does he have friends near by, is he just a distraction or is he just trying to sell you his cell phone cover or watch tower literature? Maybe he is from city power and just auditing meters but maybe he is waiting to get you to open so he and his hidden buddies can rush you. I "paint" people as potential threats or as non threat. Some in yellow some orange.

[Corné]

Very true.

[spiggs]

Ive been caught like this! Ive been hijacked 3 times and its 2-1 that's all I gonna say. But I must mention that the 1, the guys caught me with my pants down that day. They where well dressed and looking like they belonged in the neighbourhood , I remember the one guy having diamond earings in both ears and smart Italian leather shoes. I also noticed that when he pulled his nice new glock out, he still had to rack it! A PITY THAT IT WAS THE ONLY DAY EVER, THAT I NEVER HAD MY EDC ON ME!
Learn from this gentlemen. I was very lucky. I now carry everyday everywhere, don't make the same mistake

[Sashooter]

I can't add an answer to the OPs question, only another example. Our neighbourhood watch had a call for help one Sunday morning on the radio from a pensioner. She arrived at home after church to see a car idling in the driveway with the boot open and her TV inside. The BGs fled into the house and over the back wall when the neighbourhood watch showed up. We closed off the block of houses and started house clearing and sweeping the different properties.

Two properties from this house there were guys watching the street when a guy in a suit and tie jumped over the wall. If he had made it into the street unobserved, we probably would have asked him if he had not seen any robbers around. The suit was very effective camouflage for a Sunday morning.

[Jeremia]

Ive been caught like this! Ive been hijacked 3 times and its 2-1 that's all I gonna say. But I must mention that the 1, the guys caught me with my pants down that day. They where well dressed and looking like they belonged in the neighbourhood , I remember the one guy having diamond earings in both ears and smart Italian leather shoes. I also noticed that when he pulled his nice new glock out, he still had to rack it! A PITY THAT IT WAS THE ONLY DAY EVER, THAT I NEVER HAD MY EDC ON ME!
Learn from this gentlemen. I was very lucky. I now carry everyday everywhere, don't make the same mistake

Glad you are okay. You've been hijacked 3x; any specific reason?