Depending on where you live, crime rates are either getting higher or lower. Regardless of where you live, it still pays to be aware of personal safety and self-defense. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, U.S. residents age 12 or older experienced approximately 25.9 million crimes during the year 2000. An amazing 6.3 million of these were violent crimes. That's less than the year before, and even less than the year before that, but it still sounds like a pretty big number to me.

These potentially violent crimes can happen anywhere, from big city to small town, in your home, your workplace, your car, or almost anywhere. I don't mean to be an alarmist, but we need to take crime more seriously, and there are several things we can do to take special care that we do not become the victim of crime, violent or not.

Here are a few safety tips to consider:

• Never carry large amounts of cash, and keep only small amounts of cash in your home. A robber who doesn't find what he's looking for will usually move on.
• Consider installing video surveillance equipment in your home and in your business. Not only will it help you to get a conviction if you ARE robbed, but devices such as these can actually decrease the chance of a robbery or burglary if they are displayed openly.
• If you do things late at night, like jog or go to the gym, or make the bank deposit for your business, vary your time and route occasionally. You never want to develop a pattern that an assailant could use to his advantage.
• Stay aware of your surroundings at all times, especially at night leaving restaurants or clubs, or using the ATM. Keep a steady pace and look straight ahead, making quick checks to your sides. Muggers are less likely to approach a person who seems alert and in control.
• Carry a self-defense device, whether it be a stun gun, mace or pepper spray. You don't want to use these if you don't have to, but if you're accosted, quite often all you have to do is show or mention your device and the assailant will move on.

Whether you're a homebody in the suburbs or a night owl in the big city, you are susceptible to possibly violent crime. It is of utmost importance that we make sure that we, along with our families, are as safe from crime as possible. With just a little forethought, we can make sure that we do not become victims or worse yet, statistics.