STAYING SAFE
LCSO’s free classes teach self-defense
Whether you’re at home or out and about, feeling safe is key to life’s enjoyment. Unfortunately, with today’s daunting news stories about live shooters and crime sprees, feeling safe doesn’t always come easy.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) offers a way to help Southwest Floridians feel a bit safer through its schedule of free classes that are designed to empower ordinary citizens.
Consider, for example, the SAFE Women classes that teach women basic selfdefense and protective measures. (The classes are open to Lee County women ages 13 and up; those under 18 must attend with an adult female. At least six to 25 attendees are required.)
In this class and others, such as Active Shooter, “You will learn the many ways that criminals target you whether in person or online, options for response, how to report suspicious activity and recommended best practices,” explains Dr. Kim Swanson, business crime prevention specialist for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Attendees are provided with
take-home materials to reinforce the information presented.
The classes are designed to assist everyone—from business employees and managers, to private citizens, to school staff members and parents, to children and older adults—in ways to prevent crime and take safety measures. Some of the classes can be targeted to specific communities or groups.
“We have five crime prevention specialists who work with their designated communities in the five districts that LCSO is divided into—central, north/Gulf, south, east and west,” explains Swanson.
All available classes are listed online at sheriffleefl.org. To schedule a class, call 239-258-3280 or email communityrelations@sheriffleefl.org. (Two weeks’ advance notice usually required, though shorter notice can sometimes be accommodated.) To register for classes, see the Events-Register tab at sheriffleefl.org. For more information, call the LCSO Public Information Office at 239-477-1340.