Somerville Police say robber may be targeting women after dark

I saw a solution to this problem in the other Globe story about the Worcester convenience store clerk...

Scary!

are you sure he wasn't between 20 and 70?

LOL I was going to say the same thing. Somerville, take note of how they manage these types of people in Worcester. Is it still illegal to carry mace in MA? B/C here is a prime example of why it shouldn't be.

The stabbing occurred after she struggled with him as he tried to take her purse, police said.

Ladies, unless you have some serious training, just give the guy the damn purse. There's nothing in it worth your life.

The heck with the mace. Nobody every stabbed a .38!

I was jumped in Somerville a couple years back--the thing is when someone approaches you with a weapon--you have no choice---the cops say dont walk alone--yeah that is great--but what if some women do not have that option to walk with someone on there way home from work? From what I have learned--take a cab back to your house--or find a friend to meet you--or walk in a crowd--and dont be talking on your cellphone--that is a distraction and these people will take advantage of it--a lot goes on in these towns--after i was jumped i learned that a woman was raped the week b4-women need to be informed!

i agree with karen--give them the purse! its not worth it!

Traveling in groups is one solution. Also, be on the lookout and travel in well-lit areas. Hopefully, there will be more of a police presence at T stops which can deter a lot of criminal activity.

Run!

i live in that area and walk my dog as well...hate to say, that description could be ANY male in that area.
The streets are not lit well- especially in rain with cars and reflections. Lets up the wattage and up the Police patrol!

Running is not an option when someone is bigger than you, comes up from behind u, grabs you, has a weapon and holds your arms down--i was attacked by two individuals at the same time--they took my cellphone---i screamed and no one came out--NO ONE--so basically you have to fend for yourself in those situations---give up the purse--dont let them take you to another point---its sad to say but if no one sees you or calls the cops--its just u---i think neighborhoods need to get involved in the crime in their areas---tell neighbors what happened--its scary--but worth it to share your story.

You must walk briskly, head up, and with confidence. Do not be scared and do not be distracted. Look anyone who approaches you in the eye if necessary and keep walking. If they approach you, say very loudly and firmly (shouting): Get Back! then try to get in the middle of the street or well lit area.
If you are walking on a remote street, walk in the street, towards the middle if there's no traffic coming, but not on the sidewalk. You are much less likely to be attacked in the street itself since there is more likely hood witness and the light is brighter.

Police are too scared to patrol those same streets and would rather hang out in their cars at Dunkin Donuts. Shameful.

Is that Larry Bird?

You must walk briskly, head up, and with confidence. Do not be scared and do not be distracted. Look anyone who approaches you in the eye if necessary and keep walking. If they approach you, say very loudly and firmly (shouting): Get Back! then try to get in the middle of the street or well lit area.
If you are walking on a remote street, walk in the street, towards the middle if there's no traffic coming, but not on the sidewalk. You are much less likely to be attacked in the street itself since there is more likely hood witness and the light is brighter.

why aren't more citizens carrying legally registered handguns?
...seems to work well in Texas and Florida... and New Hampshire for that matter.
How significant do you believe police related gun training is? Time to stop having strict gun laws because you have large minority populations. It's not gun control - it's Black and Hispanic control. Vermont has no handgun regulations.
There's no problem with guns there. People don't have a problem with farmers, ranchers or the local jeweler having handguns. It's inner-city black/hispanic individuals that they want to control - they just don't have the audacity to say it; so I'll say it for them. Gun control is racism. Try being black and getting a permit.

Strange things go through a person's mind during a mugging. I was mugged a few years back (not around here), and I was so mad I wanted to fight. I thought of what I learned in a self-defense class, but what everything is different with a weapon involved. I saw the knife and thought, "hey, that's near my kidneys," pretended I didn't know where my wallet was and eventually gave the mugger my money when the bus I was waiting for didn't come. The money wasn't the reason I wanted to resist -- turns out I only had $5; it was the principle. Nobody likes being a victim. I'm not saying that it's worth your life, or health, to fight back. But I understand why a person would.

I completely agree with EB. You have to walk tall, especially at night. I've lived in some shady areas of Boston, and behaving as EB describes helps immensely. An attacker is less likely to accost someone who has an air of confidence about them, and is alert. I live in Union, and this is quite a shock, honestly.

I've heard that you should not only give an attacker your purse/wallet, but you should also throw it away from you to get the attacker away from you.

Posted by EB

That doesn't work too well when you're on the ground. As far as lighting and being visible goes, that only works when people stand up for each other, which Boston folks don't. Maybe on Main Street in Missouri, but not here.

It's pretty easy for a neighborhood to overpower even the toughest punk, but since people than "thank god that wasn't me" and ignore the people like Tina (who could have been raped or killed) we'll have more and more of these crimes. Cops can only file reports and sometimes catch the perp after the act, they can't and have no legal obligation to stop a crime in progress. Liberals who insist that a community must not defend itself have another agenda, not your safety in mind.

Make eye contact. You are less likely to be assaulted if you make eye contact with a potential perpetrator because the person then knows that you will be more likely to be able to identify them.

EB is right about yelling directly at your attacker and getting somewhere with better lighting! Goodness forbid, but if you do get attacked, also yell "FIRE!!!" rather than help. People are more likely to respond to that, and even just having someone run onto the scene will likely scare the attacker away.

Also, GIVE UP THE PURSE if they have a weapon... This guy clearly has no qualms with hurting someone severely, and many have said it before, but you can never say it enough. Nothing is worth your personal safety.

What aren't the police putting decoys on the street to ensnare this guy? It doesn't seem like they have much else to do.