A Raleigh man was mugged and assaulted while walking alone at night, causing him to lose two-thirds of his blood. According to the High Point Police Department, there are four easy tips to remember to keep you safer while walking at night.
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- It was 2 a.m. on the night of Nov. 1 when Will Jacobs, 21, left a Halloween party at his friend's apartment in Raleigh. At 6-foot-4-inches tall he towers above most and could intimidate even the toughest of people, so he didn't think twice about walking down the dark street alone. Before he knew it, four unknown men mugged and assaulted him, pushing him through a storefront window.
Two weeks and seven hours of surgery later, Jacobs is still on three different pain medications and will have his lower arm in a cast for at least six months. The glass window he fell through severed the tendons in his left wrist, leaving his thumb permanently immobile, and he lost so much blood he could have died.
High Point, although 90 minutes away from the site of Jacobs' assault, is no stranger to crimes. Within a two-mile radius of High Point University, 115 crimes occurred over the course of 18 days, between Nov. 1 and Nov. 18 of this year. According to CrimeMapping.com, 56 of those crimes were robberies, thefts, assaults, or homicides. This averages 3.1 personal injury crimes every day.
Given the prevalence of crimes in the High Point area, it's important that people learn how to protect themselves. According to Capt. Tim Ellenberger of the High Point Police Department, there are four easy steps to staying safe at night.
1. Step One: Don't Walk Alone
When walking around at night--or even during the day--try to have someone else with you. There is safety in numbers, and predators are less likely to attack a group of people. Even if you don't know anyone, walking in a highly populated area decreases your chances of being a victim assault or theft.
2. Step Two: Stay in Well-Lit Areas
Dark streets or areas are easy places for crimes to happen -- there's nobody around to witness it, or if there are, they'll have difficulty seeing it. Stay in areas that are well-lit and well-traveled to decrease your chances of being attacked.
3. Step Three: Have a Cell Phone Handy
Make sure, no matter when or where you're walking, you have a phone easily accessible to call for help if needed. On the same token, have someone on speed dial that you can easily call if something were to happen.
4. Step Four: Walk Confidently
It's a proven fact that walking confidently deters predators. They are more likely to attack someone who appears timid and like they won't fight back, so walking with your head held high and at a brisk pace will help deter any possible assailants.
When asked whether he would reconsider walking alone in the future, Jacobs said, "Absolutely. One stupid mistake of walking by myself ended up causing way more damage than I could have ever anticipated, so yeah. I would definitely reconsider walking alone." Keep these tips with you at all times. They could make the difference between being safe and being sorry.
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For more information on staying safe, please visit:
Family Watchdog: National Sex Offender Registry
Women's Safety and Self-Defense Tips
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