EX-POLICE OFFICER OFFERS TIPS ON SAFETY

If a situation doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.

Nancy Hightshoe, a pioneer in the field of criminal justice, says to "trust your instincts."

Always be prepared, said Hightshoe, guest speaker at a safety seminar Saturday at the Show Me Center.

"If your instincts tell you there is something wrong, take corrective action immediately," said Hightshoe, who served more than nine years as a police officer and was one of the first female beat-patrol officers in the nation. "Don't wait for a situation to escalate."

Hightshoe, of Nancy Hightshoe Seminars Inc., has been a speaker on the issue of personal safety throughout the U.S. and in 17 foreign countries. She addresses tough issues concerning safety.

"Twenty years ago my remarks were directed mostly to women," said Hightshoe. "Now they are more for everyone."

A mixed audience -- men and women, young people and senior citizens -- was present for the seminar, sponsored by Southwestern Bell Cellular Service.

With carjackings, muggings, burglaries, rapes and robberies, more men have become interested in safety, said Hightshoe.

"It seems that no matter where we go we are at risk," Hightshoe told the group. "But we can significantly reduce the risk if we have the knowledge of how to fight these crimes."

Hightshoe served more than nine years as a police officer, three of them as a detective. She made numerous felony arrests and helped establish the St. Louis County Police Rape Squad.

"I was thorough," she said. The national average of clearance of rape cases is 49 percent; Hightshoe's percentage of clearances was 85.

As a consultant, she still helps train police detectives and other investigators.

Hightshoe has a master's degree in human relations and administration of justice and is now a spokesperson for Southwestern Bell's cellular safety campaign.

She presents a number of programs, including leadership motivation, change management and personal safety.

One of the primary objects of the safety seminar is to prepare people for the worst.

"In other words, I tell people to think like a COP, and be prepared for any possible happening," she said. "And we tell people to avoid certain situations."

Hightshoe is an advocate of personal safety tools, including small alarms in the purse or cellular telephones.

Always have a cellular phone in hand and turned on when walking alone to and from work to your car, suggests Hightshoe. Keep the cellular phone handy when running errands, stopping at ATM machines, or while walking on store and shopping center parking lots, especially after dark, she said.

"If you have one, carry a cellular phone with you, even if you're walking around your neighborhood in the evening," she said.

Southwestern Bell Cellular is conducting a cellular safety campaign.

"We've held these safety campaigns at various university campuses and malls," said Dawn M. Alexander of Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, who was present at the seminar. "We use Nancy (Hightshoe) whenever we can."

Among some of the safety tips revealed at the seminars:

-- Always lock your car as soon as you enter it. You can latch seat belts second."

-- Be aware of people around you.

-- Carry a cellular phone or some sort of alarm with you.

-- Seniors should carry alarms or cellular phones even while working the garden or doing other outside work.

-- If you return home and find your home has been broken into, go to a neighbor's house and call before entering.

-- If approached by a robber, don't try to stop the robber. Give them what they want and walk away.

Statistics show that victims are hurt in one of 270 incidents when they don't confront or try to stop criminals. That reduces to one in three when victims attempt to stop robbers and burglars.