ThisWeek UA 3/2/2011
In a classroom at the Upper Arlington Senior Center last week, city police officers Heather Galli and Greg Ellifritz spent their morning arming seniors with the skills they need to know to defend themselves from an attacker.
The senior self-defense course, taught by Galli and police training officer Ellifritz, is part of a monthly series sponsored by the Upper Arlington Commission on Aging. Galli, the community relations and crime prevention officer, is the police department’s liaison to the commission; she works with the commission members to develop personal safety courses that are timely and relevant to seniors.
“The topics come from reviewing current police reports along with the concerns I hear from people during my regular visits here [to the Senior Center],” Galli said.
Ten residents took part in this free self-defense course that covered in-home safety, such as burglary, and how to respond to physical attacks.
“Anything that increases the risk of getting caught reduces the risk of being victimized by a burglar in the first place,” Ellifritz said. “Flood lights, keeping doors and windows closed and locked, simple things like that make a big difference. Most burglaries happen due to easy access, like unlocked doors or keys that you think are hidden outside but the robbers know how to find them.”
Galli explained that a better option for house keys is a trusted neighbor or a Knox-Box, available through the fire department for approximately $150, which gives safety services access to your home in an emergency.
Much of the in-home safety discussion focused on firearms. The officers stressed the importance of being able to barricade yourself in a room and contact 911; but stated that if a resident chooses to defend him or herself with a firearm they should announce it clearly because, in most cases, that alone is enough to cause the intruder to flee.
“If you use a firearm for protection, make sure you are trained on it and ready to use it. However, there are a lot of other responsibilities that come with firearm ownership, so it isn’t for everyone,” Ellifritz said.
Participants were taught techniques for dealing with physical confrontations. The first technique was the eye-gauge. The officers demonstrated the technique and then gave each participant an opportunity to try the technique on their training mannequin.
After demonstrating a more lethal technique, dislocating an attacker’s windpipe, the officers allowed each participant to practice the proper hand placement on Galli and Ellifritz’s own necks.
“The techniques we are teaching today don’t require a lot of physical strength or training to be effective,” Ellifritz said. “They will seriously injure or even kill a person, though.”
“[The officer’s] level of expertise is amazing, after taking the Lifelong Learning woman’s self defense course, and now this, I feel much more confident about protecting myself,” participant Connie Barber said.
Participant Clarence Cole agreed.
“I think this presentation was so well done should be mandatory for members of the Senior Center,” Cole said.
Next month’s free senior safety course will focus on safe driving and will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, March 18, in room 204, building #2, of the Senior Center.
“We’ll focus on demystifying driving by reviewing driving laws and how to deal with situations that [the seniors] might encounter,” Galli said. “Some people think we should just take seniors’ licenses away; but I think we should make [the seniors] aware of what resources are available to them. There are a lot of techniques and accessories that can help them be safer and more confident drivers.”