Introduction
The use of situational awareness in legal practice, police duties and civilians is a critical way of staying safe from situations that might lead to severe injuries or cause trouble. On the other hand, situational awareness enables its enactors to be in a position to stop a possible incidence that can be costly to human life, infrastructure, and the economy. Therefore, situational awareness can be defined as the ability to be alert to the happenings within your surroundings. According to Sgt. Glenn French (2010) a SWAT Operator in the Army, he explains that situational awareness in the ‘Army Field Manual,’ is defined as the “knowledge and understanding of the situation at hand; which enhances relevant, efficient, timely and precise assessment of competitive, friendly and operations within the battle space to facilitate decision making.” It is a source of information and skills that enable individuals to understand events that are taking place within their surrounding and have a quick and efficient manner to handle the situation. Moreover, situational awareness can be used to maximize the opportunities for success and efficiency in whatever activities being managed. While some incidences are abrupt, others can be prepared for in case they take place. Hence, the cognitive state, strategic tactics and physical presence can coordinate to ensure that the individual’s situational awareness is fully enacted in the occurrence of an event.
An individual’s ability to effectively apply situational awareness can be enhanced through immense training, frequent practices and use of technology. Therefore, automatic identification technology is the use of devices that have the ability to capture information and data into a computer system without deploying human workforce. The used technology in analyzing a situational awareness ensures that there is effectiveness, and protection of lives while ensuring that causalities are minimized. Some of the automated technology may include button cameras that have the ability to provide evidence in the case where an offender has a higher chance of not being found guilty because of lack of sufficient evidence. The allocation of visual alarms that can alert the presence of an intruding individual in protected area. There are many other kinds of technologies used to impact situational awareness like wearable sensors that are majorly used to track people especially soldiers without the use of GPS. The increase of insecurity worldwide has influenced the innovation of strategic measures and use of technology that impacts safety. For instance, incidences of terror attacks facilitated the creation of technological devices that can trace and identify the existence of dangerous weapons like rifles, grenades, and bombs. With this put into place, terrorism has been tamed with attackers on the alert of the presence of these automatic identification technologies. Creation of barcodes has ensured that individuals do not steal another person’s identity for purposes of fraud.
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In an instance at the grocery store, a woman had come along with her three-year-old daughter. Having fun shopping with the mother, she was jumpy and all over the place. Whatever attracted her led to her asking the mother if she could have it. With some negative responses, she picked a drink without her mother’s knowledge and a bar of chocolate. Knowing her well, the mother asked her to place the things she had picked and put on the trolley, which she did. Having finished her shopping, the woman walked confidently to the teller, where she was warmly attended to. Busy paying payments for the goods she bought her little one was calm behind her. Having finished her transactions, the woman walked towards the exit. At the sides of the doors were monitors that would make a squeaking sound in case of an item that had not been paid for and is in the packed items. Unknowingly the girl had picked another bar of chocolate that she was confidently inserted in the package which the mother together with the teller thought was the previous bar that was included in the tallied items. Creating attention to the whole store, the security guards were already at the exit stopping clients from leaving. Knowing it was her, the woman quickly surrendered to the authorities allowing them to frisk her package. There they found the chocolate bar which because of corporation and loyalty, the store manager politely gave the chocolate bar to the three-year-old allowing her mother to go. The fact that the woman was calm and willing to work hand in hand with the authorities, she showed signs of an unintentional mistake that was made by her daughter who also was innocent because according to her people were picking any item they wanted and left with them. She was not aware of the transactions made that required one to make to possess an item from the store.
While the woman was leaving the store, she suspected a man and a lady who were behind her and was making faces to her child and playing around with her. Apparently, they were the ones who inserted the chocolate bar in her already packed items. Not knowing their intention, the two individuals were ensuring that the woman spent more time in the store while they were working out on stealing her car and valuable items in the car. She monitored suspicious movements and glimpses from the two who also somehow were signaling some of their team members outside. Not knowing what they were after, the woman innocently walked towards a security guard as if she was dealing with the issue of the chocolate. All she could think of was her little girl whom according to her was more vulnerable. Until now, she did not know what was taking place, was it a robbery, a carjacking outside, or a kidnapping attempt? She had typed something on her phone and showed it to the guard! In it, she said, ‘I am scared, see the lady and the man in red.’ Immediately the security guard pressed the alarm in the safety area and alerted their team outside. On seeing this, the man removed his gun and shot on the roof demanding everyone to lie down. His main reason for doing this was to find a way out because he knew the police would be there anytime from then. That was a tactic to hold people hostage and try to escape. Already the security guards outside were on alert and hindered people from leaving the premises. At this moment everyone in the store was on the floor, not knowing what was happening or what to do. The police were informed of what was taking place and by this time they were on their way. The woman scared on the floor covering her little girl with her hands was so confused because until now she did not know what exactly the individuals wanted.
The ringing of the alarm scared the team that was outside, and two of them tried to be on their heels. Unfortunately, they were shot on the legs by one of the guard hindering them from moving. Lying on the ground in a pool of blood, the individuals were attended to by police medics who had arrived just after the shooting. The team of the policemen who had come engulfed the store premises and wittily saved all the hostages, and arrested the man and lady who were in the store together with their team members who were outside. The two who were shot were taken to hospital under police guard. The team was later realized to be kidnappers who were after the three-year-old girl and also intended to steal the mother’s car. This was identified after questioning and finding toys in their van and child stuff that probably were meant to keep the child from crying too much.
Conclusion
Were it not for her instincts and trusting her guts, probably the child would be under different care altogether, her car would also be gone. Moreover, the ability of the security guard to handle the situation enhanced the time management and ability to capture the kidnappers. It was appropriate for both the police and security guards to respond as quick as possible since the situation would have gotten out of hand considering the gang members who were inside the store had held everyone hostage and were armed. Situational awareness requires one to monitor everything that is taking place around them. Allowing all the six senses to coordinated and work together ensure that a lot of damages can be hindered from taking place and lives saved. It is possible to avoid dangerous occurrences through a smart move, that cannot offend the attacker. Moreover, technology facilitates a fast operation to ensure that there is efficiency in dealing with the situation. It is vital for all team members involved to collaborate and assist in handling the situation at hand. While a lot can be done, staying safe by analyzing one’s surrounding is very critical and can ensure that a severe incidence is handled.
References
French, S. G. (2010, May 15). Training to enhance tactical situational awareness. Retrieved April 29, 2017, from Police One: https://www.policeone.com/swat/articles/2019895-Training-to-enhance-tactical-situational-awareness/
Hilaire, M. S. (2013, March 21). Situational Awareness is Critical in Law Enforcement. Retrieved April 29, 2017, from Cops Alive: http://www.copsalive.com/situational-awareness-is-critical-in-law-enforcement/
