Hunter Mindset For Survival in the Recovery Industry

Violent encounters may and will occur anytime at anyplace and from any person…

The Federal Bureau of Investigation suggests that to survive workplace violence is to constantly have a “SURVIVAL MINDSET”. This certainly applies to the men and women in the asset recovery industry, whether in the field or in the agency office.

What this means is being aware, being prepared, and having rehearsed the actions you might take during a violent encounter. It is a known fact that those who prepare and train for the possibility of a violent incident will react differently from those who do not.

Those who are not prepared will usually panic and ultimately become victims while those who are prepared will still experience anxiety but will also maintain awareness and act effectively to defend themselves and/or others.

I once asked my friend G. Gordon Liddy how he survived the challenges he endured, and his reply has stuck with me through the years. “I never desired to just survive, my goal was to prevail”,

The Hunter Instinct

Rather than to go to work each day with a “survival instinct” I would suggest that we venture out to do our daily tasks with a “hunter instinct” and the will to prevail in any adverse situation we might find ourselves in.

The first element of a “hunter instinct” is maintaining a CONDITION YELLOW awareness level. It means maintaining constant situational awareness.

However, after spending over 50 years in the asset recovery industry, I am fully aware that the reality is that it is not always possible to be in CONDITION YELLOW 100 percent of the time. When we are engaged in an important conversation with our office, a client, the consumer or any third party, when we are on the computer reading or entering data, or conducting one of the other crucial tasks related to our job description, our situational awareness will be limited.

That said there is no excuse for driving around all day or all night completely unaware of your surroundings. After ending that important conversation or entering data on the computer the “hunter instinct” requires that we assess our surroundings. This simple action, which may only take a few seconds, may be the difference between being a victim or a person who not only survives but prevails.

Potential Violence Profiling

When I work on any assignment, I have the luxury of having an observer, another trained and licensed investigator with me as my guardian angel whose job is to be on the lookout for any potential threats, witness any encounters, and cover my back. In today’s industry environment of high-tech tow vehicles, computers, and cameras this is a luxury most agents do not have. Most agents today work solo putting all the weight of survival on that sole agent’s shoulders.

Violent encounters may and will occur anytime at anyplace and from any person and sadly as the FBI states, “It must be pointed out, however, that no single behavior is more suggestive of violence than another. All actions must be judged in the proper context and in totality to determine the potential for violence.”

Through the years I have learned that the key to preventing many violent encounters is identifying the pre-event indicators.

Potential Violence Profiling (PVP) focuses on observing several indicators that indicate someone is a potential threat. These indicators include biometrics, emotions and stress, kinesics, behavioral indicators of aggression, proxemics, violations of interpersonal distance, and several other behavioral clues that indicates a person wants to harm another person.

PVP is basically a method of behavioral analysis to determine a person’s emotions and behavior. As members of the asset recovery industry there are certain behavior patterns, we should be aware of:

OBVIOUS: Loud and threatening voice

Clenched Fists

Space Invasion

Other people arriving on site

Picking up anything which may be used as a weapon

SUBTLE: Rapid Eye Movement

Nervous twitching

Reddening of the face

Tearing up

Looking down

These are the behavior patterns that alert you of imminent danger and recognizing them may possibly save your, or someone else’s life…

Recognizing your own behavior patterns in a stressful situation is also important is equally valuable:

Suspicion: doubt, misgiving, distrust, appearances are not reliable

Apprehension: anticipation or perception of adversity, trouble or a threat

Fear: a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, to be uneasy

Out of the ordinary: things just do not feel right as if something is missing or out of place

That instinctive “feeling: a natural aptitude or gift, an intuitive power

Attacks do not happen “OUT OF THE BLUE”. What is often considered spontaneous violence will always be the result of a gradual progression and there will be recognizable precursors to the attack. The key to preventing many attacks is identifying the pre-event indicators.

Remember that PVP focuses on observing behavioral indicators that a person is becoming a potential threat. Always stay alert and aware of potential violence indicators.

Lesson Objective

The Eagle Group’s goal of this short lesson is to present information that is not readily available to the men and women who risk their lives on each assignment they work.

The asset recovery environment is a roller coaster ride and preparation, knowledge, and practice are essential. There will be times when you think this is the most rewarding and satisfying thing you have ever done and other times when the frustration will feel unsurmountable and you will wonder “WHY?”.

My personal goal in presenting this lesson and the much more in depth SACADET Training Module (Situational Awareness, Confrontational Avoidance Techniques and De-Escalation Techniques) to encourage each reader to acquire and maintain that “HUNTER MINDSET” and strive to not just “survive but rather to “prevail” … to do this and go home at the end of your shift.

Ron L. Brown

EAGLE GROUP XX/USA