If you ever spend any time at all driving, walking or jogging through dangerous neighborhoods or areas, or if you are alone anywhere much of the time, you should know which personal devices have the best likelihood of protecting you. Personal devices range from safe, non-lethal alarm-type devices, to mace or pepper spray, to lethal self-defense devices such as firearms. After consideration, only you can decide which devices are right for your use.
Alarms, Bells and Whistles
The obvious purpose of a personal alarm device is to summon attention to yourself and to frighten away any potential intruders or assailants. The advantage of using an alarm as a personal device is that it is effective in creating a loud noise and scaring away intruders who are startled by the noise. The disadvantage of only using an alarm is that it is virtually useless in a remote area where no one can hear the alarm.
The exception, of course, is the use of a high-tech silent alarm that sends a signal of your location, using GPS technology, to a designated monitor.
Non-Lethal Varieties of Personal Devices
Other useful personal devices are a Taser, mace or pepper spray. The advantage of using pepper spray or mace is that it is non-lethal, meaning it will not cause permanent harm to your assailant. The disadvantage is that you must be in close enough range to your assailant for the spray to have an effect on them. A taser can cause temporary bodily harm to your assailant, and the assailant will be paralyzed for a short period of time, and in extreme pain, allowing you to effect your escape.
A disadvantage of any of these non-lethal devices is that the assailant can gain control of the device and use it on you. Obviously, these devices should be used for your with great caution and only after getting the proper training.
Lethal Varieties of Personal Devices
Lethal means deadly. This category of devices, including knives and firearms, can cause bodily harm, or even death, to your assailant. These devices should be used only in extreme circumstances where using them is a matter of life or death. Their use is fraught with potential risk. Certainly, self defense of yourself or family member is usually a sufficient defense against a charge of murder or assault with a deadly weapon. However, it is up to a jury whether you used more force than you were entitled to use You don't want to end up in prison for causing a death while defending yourself. On the other hand, you don't want to be a crime victim!
If you decide to use a lethal device like a gun or a knife to protect yourself, get as much training as you possibly can so you know how to safely use, clean, and store your weapon. Getting legal advice is also well advised, as lethal force is not considered appropriate in protecting one's property. Depending on laws, such force may only be used in protecting one's life or health, or that of his/her family. As in the case of non-lethal devices, however, you run the risk of your assailant getting any weapon away from you and using it on you. Proceed with caution when considering this option.
