Maintain a circle of awareness

“Criminals are looking for easy victims, people who aren’t paying attention,” says Thomas Taylor, a security expert who has helped protect every U.S. president since Gerald Ford. So turn the tables on them. If you’re in a crowd, keep an eye out for anyone who “separates himself by his behavior, his dress, or his manner,” he says. “Ask yourself, who here gets my attention? Listen to your intuition.”

Taylor’s team actually assigns names to certain suspect types, like:
•The Organizer: Somebody who is reaching into a bag or a coat pocket, something most people wouldn’t do if they’re at a concert or watching a speaker. It might be something a robber would do right before pulling out a weapon.
•The Secret Team: Two or more nonadjacent people signaling each other through gestures or eye contact.
•The Grouch: Someone other people in the crowd are avoiding because of behavior, smell, or style of dress.
•The Inspector: Someone who is watching security instead of the event.