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Oakbrook Terrace business offers personal protection products
Don Liberacki, company president of CSI Personal Defense Supply, at his showroom in Oakbrook Terrace. | Dan Luedert—Sun-Times Media
THE DETAILS
Showroom hours: 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday-Friday
Online ordering : www.shop.csialert.com
Phone ordering: 800-574-4155
Products endorsed by: successful mixed martia artist Danny Morales
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Updated: October 7, 2012 6:03AM
OAKBROOK TERRACE — Don Liberacki doesn’t believe in starting fights.
But the 72-year-old owner of The CSI Personal Defense Super Store in Oakbrook Terrace also thinks it’s a very good idea for everyone to be prepared to defend themselves if a situation arises for which that is necessary.
Liberacki has been in the security business for several years and opened his local showroom about 18 months ago.
“I actually started manufacturing traceable theft deterrent systems for cars about 14 years ago; we do that in Burr Ridge,” Liberacki said. “A lot of our products in that area are sold through insurance companies. Someone may find one of our systems in a car when they go to buy a new car.”
Liberacki decided to extend his security business to people for a very specific reason.
“When something’s not fair, I like to do something about it,” he said. “It’s not fair when some woman is walking by herself to her car, and a man who is twice her size walks up to her so he can grab her purse and possibly hurt her. I don’t believe in starting fights, but I do believe in personal safety.”
Liberacki said women most often purchase his personal safety products. Men who come in often say they are purchasing something for their wives or girlfriends.
“Are they actually buying something for their wife or girlfriend? I don’t know, but that really doesn’t matter to me,” Liberacki said. “It’s a good idea for anyone to be better prepared to protect themselves.”
Liberacki sells a variety of defense sprays in his showroom at 17W662 Butterfield Road, Suite 301. Most of his products are for use against human attackers, but he also has items to ward off animals, specifically dogs and bears. The dog repellent spray is popular with runners and mail carriers; the bear pepper Mace usually is used by campers and hunters, Liberacki said.
The Mace and other pepper-related products are available as key chains, pens, pocket containers and guns.
“There is a tremendous demand for this stuff, but a personal defense store isn’t going to cut it; we’re going to build the business in other ways, including online,” Liberacki said.
He said he used Mace once when while out with his wife he was threatened by a man he didn’t know several times. Spraying the man allowed Liberacki and his wife to get away without further incident.
“I don’t believe in not protecting myself at all,” he said. “Mace doesn’t solve the problem, but it at least give you a fighting chance and a little self-confidence.”
