by Miranda G. McLeod
Staff Writer
Every Monday Andrew Wooten hosts a class for rape victims, and every Monday it’s full. In one of his more recent classes, there were 11 people from the real estate industry.
Wooten is a public speaker commonly found on the real estate circuit and that may be because, he says, real estate can be a dangerous industry.
Wooten is a business security consultant and managing partner of Safety Awareness & Firearms Education. He was the November speaker for the Women’s Council of Realtors.
Realtors are high profile, highly independent people who spend money to promote themselves, making them more vulnerable because they meet with strangers and give out phone numbers, among other things, said Wooten.
And it’s not just women in the industry, it’s men, too.
Wooten picked out a man and a woman from the audience. He then showed how the man was easier to attack from behind, and that as a man, he was twice as likely to be victimized as the woman.
Wooten said a lot of crime happens in the parking lot and recommends the use of a 10 second rule.
“Stop, look to see what’s happening in the parking lot. Halfway to the car, look behind like ‘Did I forget something?’ Before you get to your car, take a look around,” said Wooten.
An avoidance tool is “KWK,” according to Wooten.
“Kill ‘em with kindness,” he said. “It sends a would-be attacker a message. I see you, I can identify you.”
Wooten then moved to the topic of concealed weapons.
“A lot of people in Jacksonville have a concealed weapons permit,” said Wooten, whose company offers classes for licensing. “If you’re going to carry a gun, have a permit.”
Wooten said there was a case currently pending in which a Realtor defended herself by shooting her assailant, but because she didn’t have a permit to carry the weapon, she may serve a prison sentence.
Wooten suggested pepper spray as a tool for protection.
“Pepper spray — I’m an advocate for it. Put it on your key chain where it can be seen,” said Wooten.
He recommended getting the kind made by Mace, that is a trifecta of potential protection — pepper spray, tear gas and an ultraviolet reactive substance.
Crime can also be less impersonal than an attack from behind while walking your car or a stranger at an open house. Wooten said the No. 1 crime is identity theft.
“There’s a night and day difference from five years ago,” he said. “The No. 1 place for identity theft is in the workplace. So secure your purses, have important numbers written in a safe place and don’t keep your Social Security number on your person.”
Wooten said today’s thieves want to increase beacon scores so they’ll wait a long time before acting on the material they’ve stolen — the average case of identity theft takes three years to commit, he said.
Thieves will open a credit card account in your name, purchase items and pay the bill on time. Then, they’ll go and buy a car with the card.
Wooten recommends pulling your credit report if you haven’t done so in the last 60 days to protect yourself against this type of crime.
The No. 2 crime against those in the real estate industry occurs at open houses. Wooten gave a number of things to look for a tips to stay clear of danger. Here are a few:
• Meet your clients at the office.
• Call someone — even if faking the call — within earshot of your client before you get to your destination. Perception is the weapon.
• Have your client fill out a form and ask for their identification.
• There’s no reason to ever have someone in your vehicle.
• Never ever walk in front of your client.
• Call someone again when you arrive at your destination.
• There’s no reason to ever go in a laundry room with a client.
• Take a safety class. NEFAR offers classes with CE credits every quarter.
• Buy decorative bells and put them on the door.
• Make a sign-in list.
• Listen to your gut emotion. You are your best weapon. “Listen, trust yourself and pay attention to that ‘little voice’ inside,” he said.
Acting with the Department of Justice, Wooten goes to prisons and jails 7-10 times a year to get information from criminals. He finds out how they commit their crimes and uses that information in his seminars. He is a certified victim services and crime prevention practitioner with the Department of Justice, the Office of the Attorney General of Florida. He is also a certified trainer with the National Rifle Association and the United States Marine Corps.