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[at-l] crime stuff

my sympathies to the rape victim, her family & friends, I hope your are
physically safe & that you get all of the help you need to recover as best
you can...
>
I am not in law enforcement but I have been a victim of violent crime...  I
believe the AT is safe...
>
in 1996 after the 2 snp deaths, the 1st atc response I read in my local
newspaper & on tv was *it didn't happen on the at*... it may have been true
but I thought it was a bad tasteless response, no sympathy to the families,
no warnings, just a hey it didn't happen on our trail... so, I thought about
crime, trail security, etc... I wondered if there was anything I could do to
make myself more safe & what information was out there involving trail
security-personal safety... I used my computer & created a spread sheet of
all of the atns in the 1990s up to that time to record what the atc had
published with regard to crimes & prevention... I encourage you to do the
same...
>
so, I wrote down what I thought about security on the trail and the 1st week
of february in 1997, I sent a security-crime packet to atc board members & 2
atc staff... my packet was made up of 3 parts, 1st-personal info security
2nd-a security review of the atn in the 1990s 3rd-how to be safe ideas that
I just thought up... they didn't like what I wrote (& that's putting it
mildly :)... in the 6 issues since my packet, there has been one good
article with hunting season dates but that's the only personal security
araticle in over a year... btw, some of my ideas on how we can better
protect ourselves are in one of WFs forums...
>
but for me, the spooky part was the critical review of the atn... imo, the
atn does a terrible job of publishing basic information or warnings or
prevention articles or statistics that could make us more safe... in fact,
it was my conclusion that they only publish security information after a
crime in the 1990s in the atn... I asked them to reconsider, I asked them to
be more proactive, I asked them to publish basic information & crime
statistics to give me more information so that I could make better choices
to protect myself ( & I don't mean carry a weapon ), I wrote that I thought
we could do a better job... they didn't like my suggestions... they said
what they do is fine... & they sent me a list of what they do as proof, to
which I responded by showing them again that what they do only happens after
events & years after the events because the communication system is so
slow...
>
I was reminded of my security packet when the intial at-l & atml reports
appeared about the bomber possibly being on the trail & again, when the
intial report of the pa rape came in... I was also reminded of my packet
with the gun & spray threads...
because I think in some ways the atc is responsible for certain fears that
exist, some of which are fears that shouldn't be...
>
imo, the atc can do, must do a better job in the area of security-crime
prevention & information... btw, I have yet to find any info on the bomber
or pa rape at the atc web site... why does this matter?  because in some
cases, no information is misinformation which allows or perpetuates
unnecessary fear... because there are families with hikers out on the trail
now who should have certain basic information readily available to ease
their fears & concerns... yes, they can call the atc.  but I don't think
that's good enough in this day & age... when america's most wanted does a tv
piece on something & there's no mention of that same subject at the atc
website, then I think part of my criticism is correct... one last thing, I
also wrote in my packet, that no discussion is on going if there's no
discussion going on, & imo, there's no discussion going on in the pages of
the atn about personal security... that is one reason why I like the lists,
at least here important issues are discussed in public...
safe travel / will / the green ghost.



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