Security Tips - Haiti Observer Blog

Haiti has been included in the list of kidnapping capitals in the world. Even if the country has recorded a decline in its kidnapping cases in the past, the number remains very high. Kidnappers in Haiti do not select victims based on their gender, age, nationality or race. As long as they have the opportunity to snatch someone, they will.

There are areas in Haiti that one must avoid due to security and safety concerns. Port-au-Prince, the country's capital, has a high crime rate. Slum areas in the capital, including Cite Soleil, Carrefour, Martissant, and the Delmas road area are hot spots for criminals. The same goes for urban route Nationale #1, the Boulevard Toussaint L'Ouverture and the American Road. Even public transportations are not safe because criminals, including kidnappers, can attack people in these areas.

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Haiti's 2010 earthquake, which shook the country to its foundations, especially Port-au-Prince, displaced tens of thousands of Haitians. They were reduced to living in the streets, without adequate sanitation. Nine months later in October of 2010, a cholera epidemic began, and has continued afflicting the poorest segment of Haitians, many of whom remain living in tent cities.

The Ministry of Public Sanitation and the Population has recorded 581,952 cases of cholera as of July 2012, with a 7,455 death tally since October 2010. A noticeable rise in cholera cases have been reported since early 2012 in Centre, Nord, and Port-au-Prince. Port-au-Prince neighborhoods reporting cases of cholera include: Carrefour, Cité Soleil, Delmas, Kenscoff, Petionville, and Tabarre.

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Criminal law defines the act of kidnapping as the taking by force a victim, and keeping them illegally imprisoned. In the U.S., a considerable number of child kidnappings occur as the result of a custody battle. If the child gives their consent to be taken from the custodial parent, and the child is considered competent, certain jurisdictions do not define it as a kidnapping.

The U.S. kidnapping law derives from Britain's common law. In 1932, Charles and Anne Lindbergh lost their child to a kidnapper. The outcome of this world-wide publicized event was the passage of the Federal Kidnapping Act, giving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) the authority to investigate kidnapping incidents. This federal law states if the kidnapper takes the child beyond state borders, the crime can be federally prosecuted.

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Children are vulnerable in situations in which they feel uncomfortable, insecure, or frightened. Taught to obey adult authority without question, they are unable to act on their instincts when confronted with strangers who intend them harm. Here are some guidelines to keep your children safe.

• Sit down with your children and talk to them. Tell them if any stranger gets too close for comfort to run away as quickly as possible. Instruct them to yell as loud as possible as they run to safety.

• Don't allow your children to go anywhere by themselves. If they are young, have someone you know well accompany them. If your children are older, ensure they always travel with a friend. Keep tabs on your children.

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Abduction, a form of kidnapping, is often associated with family abduction. Family abduction occurs when a child is taken by force away from their family. Frequently the perpetrator is a parent, who has been involved in a child custody dispute with their former partner.

The legal definition of abduction is a coercive act performed in defiance of a custody order. In some cases, family abductions are carried out surreptitiously. They begin when a parent or anyone acting in their place uses pretext to get possession of the child, for instance, taking the child for an outing and never returning them. The perpetrator hides the child, taking them over state lines to keep the victim-parent away from their child. The objective of abduction is to get illegal custody of the child, violating the primary caretaker's rights.

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An AMBER Alert is an urgent bulletin put out when a family abduction has taken place. Issued across all forms of media, it gives the physical description of both child and perpetrator. Along with the physical characteristics of perpetrator and victim, the license plate number and make and model of the crime vehicle is also included.

AMBER Alerts use the Emergency Alert System to broadcast to news, on-air, and Internet media outlets. Other outlets include electronic highway billboards and other billboard entities such as Clear Channel.

The responsibility of issuing an AMBER Alert usually comes under the jurisdiction of highway patrol or state trooper agencies, which involve themselves in investigation of the abduction.

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There are several reasons that may require you spend time away from your home. You can be away for business matters, home renovations or holiday. For whatever reason, it is important to ensure that your property is secure while you are away. Here are some tips to help you have some peace while you are far from home.

Ensure that you discourage trespassing in your area. You can put up noticeable 'No Trespassing' signs. Having a guard on duty will also help a big deal. You can also set up Beware and/or the Fierce Dog signs.

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Bullying happens in every social context to individuals, groups, classes, races, genders, and sexual orientations. Researchers claim certain characteristics are present in people who bully. They are often authoritarian, dominating, controlling, socially underdeveloped, and prejudiced towards others. They are also emotionally volatile, coercive, habitually aggressive, paranoid, insecure, and prone to acting in robotic ways.

Bullying or hazing--as it is called on college campuses--has a shameful tradition that secretly legitimizes itself.

Research in psychology implies bullying begins in childhood. If bullying behavior is not dealt with then, the risk increases it may turn into a chronic disorder. Bullying works through mind-games, name-calling, or character assassination. It finds fertile ground in gangs and groups, often occurring in school environments.

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Elderly people are not as mobile and quick as they used to be, and lack the strength of a younger person. Gifts that lessen the stress of performing tasks and offering protection should be high on the list of gift givers.

The bathroom, particularly the bathtub or shower stall, is the riskiest place in the home for them. Gift them with hand rails and support bars to steady them. Add a bath or shower mat to avoid slips and falls during showering or bathing.

Elderly people's musculature weakens as they age. Sitting and standing becomes difficult, especially when using the toilet. Buy a portable raised toilet seat and toilet safety-arm rest. Similarly, buy a remote control device for their landline phone to avoid repeated efforts at standing or sitting.

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