LETTER | Like many people everywhere, I was shocked and saddened by the mass stabbings in a Sydney shopping centre, in Australia, last Saturday.

Naturally, personnel all over the world monitoring CCTVs would be more alert but soon settle back to their comfortable ways.

As such, their vigilance ought to be tested regularly. For example, plainclothes officers from the police’s criminal investigation department can mock the actions of suspicious characters to see whether they are spotted by security guards manning CCTVs.

Another effective measure is to operate K9 units with a minimum of three dogs together with their handlers to work on two shifts and allow for rest days.

An adequate budget is needed but it is one of the best investments larger shopping centres can make, as it would deter criminal intentions and actions, which would inspire confidence in the public, resulting in greater footfall and higher sales for the tenants.

The stabbing incident also got me thinking about what I should do if I were to encounter such an incident myself.

While conducting training for tour operators, I would urge them to decide and make known to their staff in advance how everyone should react if armed robbers were to barge into their office.

They ought to have contingency plans to deal with all kinds of emergencies, accidents, incidents, and situations to prevent or minimise danger, harm, injury, and damage.

Without such standard operating procedures, individual staff may react differently. Some could scream, shout, freeze, hide, run, and even fight, especially those who keep a stick under the counter, just like those who have assault/defensive weapons in their cars.

Stay calm

Instead, they should remain calm and cooperate with parang-wielding robbers who are already in a panicky mode and could start slashing if provoked, ignored, or feel they can no longer get away easily after the alarm is raised.

After all, there is usually not much cash in the office, which may also be insured. Hence, the best policy is to play safe, including removing any stick kept under the counter or in the car, to erase any thoughts of using it when challenged.

But how would I react if I were to see people running away inside a shopping centre? If there were shootings, the gunshots would have been heard. If so, I will take flight and make sure I don’t fall and get trampled upon.

Stabbings cannot be heard and those running away are usually too scared to say something intelligible. I would also be frightened and naturally take flight.

However, being wiser after the Sydney tragedy, I am conditioning myself to get angry rather than being frightened. Instead of taking flight, I will brace myself to fight but not with my bare hands.

Someone frail and old like me will need a sturdy walking stick, which can be an effective weapon against a person with a knife or dagger, but not a samurai sword or parang.

Although I value my life, it is less important than any of my family members who are with me. If alone, I would still try to prevent the loss of a few lives, such as those that were lost tragically in Sydney.

In such situations, assailants should be intercepted without delay and if Inspector Amy Scott had not neutralised the knifeman by shooting him, more people could have died or been injured.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.