12 Things Female Cops Teach Women Walking to Their Car Alone at Night

🔗 Get the complete Safe at Home Library by Kate Sullivan: 3 books + printable checklists: https://katesullivansaferliving.com ✅ 7-day money-back guarantee · Instant download · Print at home This channel shares general home-safety education only, not legal or professional advice. Always check your local laws. 12 Things Female Cops Teach Women to Do in a Parking Garage (Before They Reach the Car) When nurse Dana Castillo finished a double shift at a Roanoke, Virginia hospital at 11:40 PM, she stepped out of a level-four elevator and noticed a man standing suspiciously near a concrete pillar by her car. Remembering advice from a female officer friend to trust her gut, she turned around, rode back down, and had security walk her out—realizing later that walking away from her own vehicle was the single most useful thing she did that night. Most people treat the walk to their car as dead time—scrolling phones, digging through bags, or wearing earbuds. Experienced patrol officers, detectives, and campus police treat it as the most critical part of the trip. In this video, a 20-year home security expert breaks down 12 essential safety habits female cops teach women before walking through a parking garage, counted down from #12 to #1: ➔ **12. Park for the Walk Back:** Choose spaces near elevators, exit ramps, or attendant booths under good lighting, and back into the spot so you can pull forward quickly when leaving. ➔ **11. Snap a Photo of Your Level and Row:** Take a two-second photo of your location marker to eliminate wandering around lost and distracted in a dark garage later. ➔ **10. Get Ready Inside:** Put phones away, zip bags, and have keys out *before* leaving the safety and lighting of the building interior. ➔ **9. Ask for an Escort:** Utilize free security guards, campus police, or coworker walking services whenever you feel uneasy instead of letting embarrassment put you at risk. ➔ **8. Walk the Middle of the Lane:** Stay clear of blind pillars, dark corners, and gaps between parked cars where someone could crouch unseen. ➔ **7. Head Up, Ears Open:** Remove earbuds and put away phones for the 120-second walk so your ears can monitor what happens behind you. ➔ **6. Look Before You Are Close:** Glance underneath your car and check the back seat from a distance of ten feet rather than discovering a problem right at the door. ➔ **5. Beware of Sliding-Door Vans:** If a van or blocked-view vehicle parks directly beside your driver's door, use the passenger side or request a security escort to avoid having your back turned to a sliding door. ➔ **4. Panic Button & Pepper Gel in Hand:** Keep your key fob ready with your thumb near the panic alarm and hold non-fogging pepper gel in your hand, not buried in your bag. ➔ **3. In, Locked, Gone:** Get inside your vehicle, lock the doors, start the engine, and drive away immediately instead of sitting stationary scrolling your phone. ➔ **2. Handle "Can You Help Me" Scenarios Safely:** Decline requests to stop or approach strangers near their vehicles; instead, offer to send security or direct them to an attendant booth. ➔ **1. The Turn-Back:** Give yourself permission to turn around and walk back to a lit, populated area if anything feels off—never talk yourself out of trusting your instincts. These safety habits cost nothing, require no gadgets, and ensure you never become an easy target. ⚠️ **Disclaimer:** This video is strictly for general educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute formal security or legal advice. 🔔 **Subscribe** so you don't miss the rest of this personal safety series—new videos published every week! 💬 **Comment below:** Have you ever turned back on a walk to your car, and what made you do it? 👉 **Share this video** with anyone who works night shifts, commutes solo, or walks through parking structures alone! #ParkingGarageSafety #PersonalSafety #LivingAlone #SafetyTips #SelfDefenseForWomen #SecurityAwareness #SafetyFirst