Chelsea Asplund November 4, 2014 6:11am

The fall and winter seasons bring colder temperatures and fewer daylight hours. However, that doesn’t mean activity at Green Lake Park and surrounding neighborhoods should be spent in hibernation. As you continue your outdoor patterns and habits, we want to address safety in the park and ways you can protect yourself.

We enlisted the help of our friends at the Seattle Parks and Seattle Police Departments for some advice:

1. Don’t walk or jog alone. There really is safety in numbers. Grab a friend or join one of the many running groups. Seattle Green Lake Running Group, for one, has more than 3,000 members and plan special early morning and evening runs through out the year. If you must run alone in the dark, stray away from dark areas and keep to well-lit streets.
2. Spot and avoid potential trouble. Be wary of your surroundings and know who is nearby. Pay attention to the uncomfortable feelings that might trigger or show signs for potential danger. Develop a plan if you see trouble or something that makes you uncomfortable. Crossing a street or entering a store may get you out of a potentially bad situation.
3. Reconsider what you carry. Before you leave home, decide what you actually need to take with you rather than taking your entire handbag or wallet. For example, if you’re running a quick errand to the grocery store, carry cash, a single check or just your debit card in your pocket. Overloading yourself with bags can make you appear vulnerable.
4. Follow the rules of the road. The paved path around Green Lake has markers for running, walking and wheeling (skateboards, strollers, bicycles). Be cautious when the sun sets and visibility is affected in darker corners. Bicyclists, go slow. If you find yourself in the middle of your run when the sun sets, jog up to the surrounding street and finish your run on the sidewalk. Keep yourself as visible as possible.
5. Never leave valuables in your car. When parking around the lake or nearby businesses, be careful of what you leave visible. This might seem obvious, but car break-ins have been a reoccurring problem in recent years. Again, be aware of your surroundings. If you just met your friends for dinner and parked farther away from the group, walk to your car together and drive him or her back to theirs.

For more information, visit Seattle Police Department’s Safety and Prevention Website or contact the Seattle Parks Department at (206) 684-4075.