The Cell Phone

The best self-defense tool to come out since the handgun is the cell phone. Hear me out before you start screaming or burning me in effigy, OK? Believe me, I was one of the last holdouts on cell phones because I pictured an electronic collar, tracking me, knowing everywhere I went. But regardless of my paranoia issues, I now consider a cell phone as second in importance of daily carry gear. No. 1 is my Kimber.

For many a cell is the primary self-defense tool, even if they don’t consider it that way, as it is the only way they have to call the police for protection. For concealed-carry advocates, it is even more important.

If you ever have to draw your handgun in a defensive situation, you want to be the person on the phone to the police to provide details about the event. Witnesses will probably also be calling police, but if all they see is a person holding a gun without understanding the reason, their version might not be accurate through no fault of their own. They are only telling what they see.

You can also use your phone to take photos of the scene to document the situation. This could provide important information to the police for the investigation, and prove that you were in the right. This is especially important to show that the attacker had a weapon, because if it disappears due to friends of the assailant walking it away, you could end up in the defense chair, rather than the witness chair, during a trial.

Many consider a cell phone to be a useful item for games, music and to stay in contact with friends and family, and it is, but for those who refuse to be a victim, it is so much more.