security

[texan]

Many years ago and in what now seems almost like another life I carried a badge and and the required firearm....I was 21 years old when I was hired as a small town police officer. It has been rare over the last 40 years or so that I have not been armed. It may have not been on my person but at least in the trunk of the car. Generally it has been when I traveled to states that did not trust their citizens to own and carry firearms. When Texas started issuing CHLs I got one the first year.

It is interesting to study the history of gun control laws. Most in the North came into existence after the Civil War to keep firearms out of the hands of those out of political power that you disagreed with. In the South it was to make it unlawfull for blacks and Mexicans to have firearms. At the same time it was expected that a "Gentleman" was probably armed. This also was the case for many "Gentle Ladies" also. My grandmother here in Texas carried a Colt 1903 Model under her dress for some 20 years in the early part of the 20th Century.

At the time I became a police officer my father sat me down and had a good old father and son chat about if was I ready to use the .357 Magnum Colt I had to carry at all times. My chief said that even if I was off duty I was still a police officer and he expected me to be armed at all times. My father said he had 5 confirmed kills while in the Pacific as commanding officer of a bomb disposal squad...4 with firearms and 1 with a machete. He said that he could remember the face of every enemy soldier he had to end the life of.

Not everyone is ready to deal with the personal and legal ramifications of having to use deadly force...however if a deadly force situation presents itself and you do not act...you or someone close to you may be the one that is dead. You may have to live with that also. There is plenty of training available and I recomend it.

I also support having a topic of security on the forum.

We do not live in a safe society and yet many people go around being blissfully ignorant of their surroundings...I do not choose to be one of them.

Texan

 

[butcher]

Texan that is one very important aspects to security,
"We do not live in a safe society and yet many people go around being blissfully ignorant of their surroundings".

 

[texan]

Texan that is one very important aspects to security,
"We do not live in a safe society and yet many people go around being blissfully ignorant of their surroundings".

A police officer friend of mine calls it "condition cluless."

Texan

 

[butcher]

Many an ole men call it walkin around with yer head up yer ash.

 

[samuel-a]

This is very important aspect of our profession/hobby and I'm glad it came up. here's some tips I've picked up along the way.

If advertising about gold parties or meetings to the public, one should never go alone !! weather armed or not .

Never carry cash/checks on you when going in, leave it with your trusty partner.
Let your partner drop you off a block away, there he will wait for your call if he can come in with the money or not.
Use code words known only to you two (in case someone jumped you, you can always say the money is with your partner and you will call him to bring it but you actually tell him "danger, call the police to my location" )
Try to always break your routine in case someone is stalking and following you.

You should always try to get a sense of the person talking to you on the phone inviting you to buy gold at his home/office, investigate, ask for some details about him and the neighborhood, google his info and see if it matches...
Even if the guy's voice doesn't sounds right to you, walk away, pass it... at the worst case, you could be rubbed or buy stolen good. At the least you will be just an a$$

A good personal security lies with combination of PREVENTION (all of the above) of dangerous situations and REACTION (guns or physical combat) to them

 

[HAuCl4]

Discretion is the strongest protection. You can refine/store moderately large amounts of gold in your toilet room if no one knows about it. The problem starts when people know you are in the business and have access to quantities. When that happens, you better have a proper suitable location, with insurance, guards, time vault, etc.

The biggest risk is when you are a medium sized processor and can't/won't afford adequate protection.

Forget guns, you will be outgunned at the exactly wrong time. If I need to carry a gun to a transaction, the transaction is not worth it. IMO.

 

[jimdoc]

If I need to carry a gun to a transaction, the transaction is not worth it. IMO.

Problem is you never know when it will be needed.It is just an added insurance policy in my view.

Jim

 

[Drewbie]

If you're doing a PM transaction with someone you don't know, best to do it inside a bank.

Especially if they're paying you for gold, because you can put the cash straight into your account and they know they can't mug you for it outside.