The full day "Hard Target" course is designed to educate men and women on how to protect themselves in various crime-related situations. Founded several years ago by Ryan Lawley, a Downtown Division Community Liaison Sergeant, Hard Target blends crime prevention and personal safety tips with basic self-defence techniques.
Lawley, the lead instructor of Hard Target, based the course on the concept of target hardening, the philosophy of involving informed security decisions about yourself and your belongings, to lessen the chance of a criminal considering you an easy target. In addition, simple defensive manoeuvres are taught to create opportunities for escape, in the event an altercation with a criminal turns physical.
"Those who have taken part in Hard Target (over 500 people since its inception in 2011) have found the course to be interactive, dynamic and held in a highly enjoyable and safe environment," says Lawley. "It's educational and fun, too. Participants walk away with an enhanced sense of confidence, safety and security."
Lawley encourages anyone interested in becoming educated in personal safety to sign up and take part. "The course is for anyone and everyone. There are no limits regarding age, size, gender, or level of fitness."
Lawley and his training team, made up of fellow officers and professional trainers, have dedicated thousands of hours to empowering citizens and providing a fun learning environment that has real-world skills with immediate benefits.
“Hard Target has definitely been one of the highlights of my career," explains Lawley. "The experiences of seeing an idea grow into reality with remarkable support from the EPS and ultimately the great feedback from participants has been rewarding, especially since we have shared the concept of Hard Target with so many people.”
The Downtown Division community liaison team are holding this special edition of the Hard Target Personal Safety Seminar for donations to Santas Anonymous.
" This one day seminar will be held for a minimum donation of a gift for Santas Anonymous," says Lawley. “Every little bit counts.”
For further information on the course, please use the link: http://www.hardtarget.ca/
Background:
The Edmonton Police Service started Hard Target in 2011 as a stand-alone initiative designed to inform citizens about Edmonton’s most common crime types; it provides background and prevention education on typically reported crimes, providing a sense of proportion in matters of victimization as it relates to offences often reported in popular media.