Sacramento Regional Transit District Police Services

Crime Prevention Tips for People with Disabilities

A physical disability - impaired vision, hearing, or mobility - doesn't prevent you from being a victim of crime. Common sense actions can reduce your risk.

General Tips

  • Stay alert and tuned in to your surroundings, whether on the street, in an office building or shopping mall, driving, or waiting for bus or subway.
  • Send a message that you're calm, confident and know where you're going.
  • Be realistic about your limitations. Avoid places or situations that put you at risk.
  • Know the neighborhood where you live and work. Check out the locations of police and fire stations, public telephones, hospitals, restaurants, or stores that are open and accessible.
  • Avoid establishing predictable activity patterns. Most of us have daily routines, but never varying them may increase your vulnerability to crime.

At Home

  • Put good locks on all your doors. Police recommend double-cylinder, deadbolt locks, but make sure you can easily use the locks you install.
  • Install peepholes on front and back doors at your eye level. This is especially important if you use a wheelchair.
  • Get to know your neighbors. Watchful neighbors who look out for you as well as themselves are a frontline defense against crime.
  • If you have difficulty speaking, have a friend record a message (giving your name, address, and type of disability) to use in emergencies. Keep the tape in a recorder next to your phone.

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Out and About

  • If possible, go with a friend.
  • Stick to well-lighted, well-travelled streets. Avoid shortcuts through vacant lots, wooded areas, parking lots, or alleys.
  • Let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return.
  • Carry a purse close to your body, not dangling by the straps. Put a wallet in an inside coat or front pants pocket. If you use a wheelchair, keep your purse or wallet tucked snugly between you and the inside of the chair.
  • If you use a knapsack, make sure it is securely shut.
  • Always carry your medical information, in case of an emergency.
  • Consider carrying a cellular phone or a CB radio in your vehicle.

On Public Transportation

  • Use well-lighted, busy stops. Stay near other passengers.
  • Stay alert. Don't doze or daydream.
  • If someone harasses you, make a loud noise or say "Leave me alone." If that doesn't work, hit the emergency signal on the bus or train.

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Don't Let a Con Artist Rip You Off

Many con artists prey on people's desires to find miracle cures for chronic conditions and fatal diseases. To outsmart these con artists, remember these tips.

  • If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
  • Don't let greed or desperation overcome common sense.
  • Get a second opinion.
  • Be wary of high-pressure tactics, need for quick decisions, demands for cash only, or high yield low-risk investments.

Take a Stand

  • Join, or help organize, a Neighborhood Watch group. Make sure their meetings are accessible to people with disabilities. For example, do they need a sign language interpreter? Can individuals who use walkers, crutches, or wheelchairs enter the meeting place?
  • Work with local law enforcement to improve responses to all victims or witnesses of crime. Role-play how people with disabilities can handle threatening situations.
  • Work with a rehabilitation center or advocacy groups to offer a presentation to schools and other community organizations on the needs and concerns of individuals with disabilities.

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Resources

National Easter Seal Society
233 South Wacker Drive
Suite 2400
Chicago, IL 60606

(800) 221-6827
(202) 776-0406

Web: easterseals.com
Email: info@easterseals.com
Paralyzed Veterans of America
801 Eighteenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006

(800) 424-8500
(800) 795-4327 (TTY)

Web: pva.org
Email: info@pva.org
United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc.
1825 K Street NW
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20006

(800) 872-5827
(202) 776-0406

Web: ucp.org
Email: info@ucp.org
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
131 M Street, NE
Washington, DC 20507

(800) 669-4000
(800) 669-6820 (TTY)

Web: eeoc.gov
Email: info@eeoc.gov
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Civil Rights Division
Disability Rights Section - NYA
Washington, DC 20530

(800) 514-0301
(800) 514-0383 (TTY)
(202) 307-0663

Web: ada.gov

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