Book Review: Surviving Street Crimes

​CreateSpace Publishing; available from Amazon.com; 368 pages; $18.95.

Law enforcement officers have been trained to serve and protect, but what can private citizens do to protect themselves? Author Walter Philbrick’s book, Surviving: A Citizen’s Guide to Surviving Street Crimes and Terrorist Attacks, provides a simple but effective blueprint.

Philbrick is a veteran law enforcement officer and military veteran who parlayed his experiences into a book to assist individuals in self-protection. Most citizens don’t walk around expecting to become victims of crime, but they would certainly appreciate having some knowledge of what to do just in case. In his presentation in Chapter 1, “100 Personal Safety Tips,” the author enumerates reasonable actions a citizen can take if presented with a dangerous situation, such as a knife attack or use of force. 

Throughout the book, Philbrick includes personal anecdotes about scenarios he encountered during his law enforcement career. This information is helpful in understanding his mindset and reactions to adversarial encounters. Because there are many alternatives, the reader can pick and choose the safety tips that are applicable. A question-and-answer section is included to simplify matters for the layperson. 

While this is a self-published book and could be formatted better, its appearance doesn’t detract from the educational and tactical material contained within. This book serves the needs of law enforcement, military, and security professionals, and it is highly recommended for anyone who is concerned about personal safety. 

Reviewer: Brian L. Royster, Ed.D., is an assistant professor at Saint Peter’s University and a retired New Jersey State Trooper. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and a member of ASIS International.