While violent crimes in Scottsdale have declined in recent years, it is still important to know what to do to avoid becoming a victim.
"I want to help people understand the criminal mind," said Mark Ruffennach, a 50-year-old crime prevention specialist.
Though Scottsdale typically doesn't have a high rate of attacks, Ruffennach is passionate about making sure people know what to do when faced with a dangerous situation. Since 1998 there have been between 225-395 reported aggravated assaults per year. In 2007 there were 249 reported aggravated assaults, according to the Scottsdale Uniform Crime Report.
Ruffenach holds crime prevention classes once a month to teach people simple tactics that minimize the likelihood of becoming an assault victim. The goal is to teach students to know what to do in just a few short seconds when being attacked. The creativity Rauffenach uses to teach people how to be safe landed him the title of 2003's Crime Prevention Officer of the Year by the International Society of Crime Prevention Practitioners.
Ruffenach, a police officer for 24 years, started his crime prevention classes in 1994. "Instead of people talking about ways not to become a victim I wanted to have hands on training," he said.
His self-defense classes set up scenarios and use props, such as guns and crowbars, to demonstrate what an attack would feel like. By teaching his classes this way, people are more likely to retain the information they learn, and would be able to use these tactics in a real life situation.
"I am not like a regular cop. I make my classes fun in order for people to learn a whole lot more," said Ruffennach.
Ruffennach's classes also focus on how to identify an attacker in the event that a person would need to give a physical description to police. Some tips he gives are to try and see who your attacker looks like that you know, and also to always look at their shoes and socks. It is unlikely for attackers to change their shoes and socks, whereas they will most likely change their shirt and pants.
Robert Ruffennach, a 20-year mental health professional, has taken his brother's class for many years. The most important thing learned from this class is "awareness before the fact."
"Taking this class gets rid of any hesitation and allows you to be able to respond to an attack immediately," said Robert Ruffennach.
According to Ruffenach, there are 800,000 reported assaults a year nationally, and 95 percent of all assaults are by someone that person has seen before. Ruffenach stresses the importance of knowing that anyone can become a victim.
Ruffennach's classes are often taught at the Inn at Pima Resort in Scottsdale, however, classes can be taught at any convenient location. Classes cost $39 to $49 per person, but student discounts and group rate are available and can cost as low as $10 a person.
Depending on the type of class, there can be anywhere from three to 800 people. Classes that involve physical scenarios are usually anywhere from 20 to 40 people. Ruffennach also holds a child safety education class, which was named the Top 10 Child Safety Education Program World Wide by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
