• Trust your instincts. If your sixth sense tells you to be wary, pay attention.
• Remember to report any crimes or serious activities you experience and/or witness

Walking/Travel:

• Inform others when and where you are going and check in with them when you reach your destination
• Walk with a purpose. Be alert and attentive of your surroundings at all times.
• Be careful where you walk. Avoid lonely or unlit streets and shortcuts through parks and/or vacant lots. Walk on the curb side, away from alleys and doorways.
• If you suspect you are being followed, cross the street, go to the nearest house or store and call the police. Scream if necessary.
• When taking public transit alone, avoid waiting or getting off at isolated stations/stops. Arrange for a family member or friend to escort you to and from the station.
• It is dangerous to hitchhike and to involve yourself with strangers who are hitching a ride. Once trapped inside a car, it is difficult to call for assistance.

At Home:

• If you live alone, use first initials only on mail boxes, apartment directories or in the telephone directory
• Entrances and garages should be well lit
• Don't let strangers into your house. Insist on proper identification from service personnel. If someone asks to use your phone, offer to make the call for them instead.
• If you feel menaced in a one-on-one situation, act at once, even if it means leaving your home
• Never admit on the telephone or at your door that your are alone
• Never stay alone in apartment laundry rooms, mail rooms or garages
• If you return home to find that your windows and/or doors have been tampered with, DO NOT ENTER OR CALL OUT. Go to a neighbour's home and call the police

In Public:

• Exercise caution when conversing with people you have just met. Avoid giving your name, address and/or place of employment.
• It is risky to accept a ride home and/or invitation for a night cap from someone you have just met

Streetproofing Kids:

Tips for streetproofing children are available in PDF format. Click here.