OPSEC [Operations Security]
So how to defend yourself? First, don’t set yourself up as a victim. Practice good OPSEC… don’t walk around with goodies in your possession that others might covet in whatever situation you find yourself in. An unfortunate case in Connecticut that wound up with a man’s family dead started because the women were well dressed and drove a nice vehicle. They were followed home and later that night two men staged a home invasion where the father (a doctor) was beaten with a baseball bat and tied up in the basement. His wife and two daughters were brutally raped and killed by the two intruders. Don’t set yourself up as a victim, be aware of your environment and who’s in it, and practice OPSEC. I can’t say that enough times.
Preparing
No matter where you live you should start getting to know your neighbors and what they have to bring to the table. You don’t have to approach them and say, “Hey, if TSHTF do you have any guns? You can join my gang if you do.” Actually I’d advise against that approach; however, you can get to know them and see what kind of people they are . If they appear to be good people you can keep them in mind for when it does hit the fan, but you have to be ready to move quickly. Chances are good they won’t have done any thinking in this area, so you may have to step up and assume a leadership role, or at least an organizational one. If you don’t think of yourself as strong leader material you can always help the alpha male or female, or the committee, or whatever, when it comes to getting organized and help guide them in areas they probably won’t be thinking about... finish reading at source
