One of the worst criminally motivated schemes I abhor and is almost neck and neck with an act of terrorism is the home invasion.
When you've had a bad day, when you're sick, when you're celebrating your children's birthdays, you're usually doing it in the safe confines of your own home. When you no longer feel safe in your own residence, it can affect you for the rest of you and your children's lives.
This thread is to be a collaboration of tips and ideas in preparation for maintaining security in your dwelling you call home and watching out for signs that you are being "sniffed" for a break-in.
Back in 2008, I moved into my neighborhood. We had just moved in when we went to the store for half an hour to come back to a kicked in door and our LCD TV taken. The thieves literally ripped the TV from all the A/V cables and power plug that made the TV stand fall on it's face. They knew what they wanted and when to hit. They had watched us come and go waiting for just the right opportunity. Knowing we had just moved in, the odds of having a security system in place was nil.
Just about within the same week, I was home alone with the curtains down. I heard someone pull up in my driveway. Then someone started pounding on the side door. I peeked out from behind the curtain to see a white van with a B/M staring back at me from the passenger side of the van. I heard the passenger do a little 'whoop' sound, and the van took off as I went to the kitchen to grab the only weapon I had in the house at the time, a knife. Luckily, nothing came of that and unfortunately I had no details to provide for a police report.
I've heard about schemes happen where a woman will knock on the door to ask a question, ask to borrow the phone or whatever while the rest of the crew holds back to gather info from the woman. This has happened to me before, minus the break-in so far. I've been asked continually to use my cell phone at night by a previous neighbor. I had to cut them off after they wore out my courteous nature. Recently, a woman knocked on our door that my GF answered. She had opened the door to this stranger that was asking for money before I could say anything about it, so I stayed back out of sight with my hand at my side ready to draw. She left the door open to come back to me to ask if I had any money to give to her. Her mistakes were just blaring in my mind of people who are so trusting and of the mindset that it'll never happen to them. Unfortunately what I call vigilance, she calls paranoia (she's a doctor in Psychology) so it's an ongoing battle to protect my family in a transparent manner.
I'm grateful for the fact that Indiana has the Castle Doctrine and arming myself for the protection of my family was a no brainer.
Your situation may be different, but let's hear some of your tips in regards to maintaining situational awareness in the prevention of a home invasion.
When you've had a bad day, when you're sick, when you're celebrating your children's birthdays, you're usually doing it in the safe confines of your own home. When you no longer feel safe in your own residence, it can affect you for the rest of you and your children's lives.
This thread is to be a collaboration of tips and ideas in preparation for maintaining security in your dwelling you call home and watching out for signs that you are being "sniffed" for a break-in.
Back in 2008, I moved into my neighborhood. We had just moved in when we went to the store for half an hour to come back to a kicked in door and our LCD TV taken. The thieves literally ripped the TV from all the A/V cables and power plug that made the TV stand fall on it's face. They knew what they wanted and when to hit. They had watched us come and go waiting for just the right opportunity. Knowing we had just moved in, the odds of having a security system in place was nil.
Just about within the same week, I was home alone with the curtains down. I heard someone pull up in my driveway. Then someone started pounding on the side door. I peeked out from behind the curtain to see a white van with a B/M staring back at me from the passenger side of the van. I heard the passenger do a little 'whoop' sound, and the van took off as I went to the kitchen to grab the only weapon I had in the house at the time, a knife. Luckily, nothing came of that and unfortunately I had no details to provide for a police report.
I've heard about schemes happen where a woman will knock on the door to ask a question, ask to borrow the phone or whatever while the rest of the crew holds back to gather info from the woman. This has happened to me before, minus the break-in so far. I've been asked continually to use my cell phone at night by a previous neighbor. I had to cut them off after they wore out my courteous nature. Recently, a woman knocked on our door that my GF answered. She had opened the door to this stranger that was asking for money before I could say anything about it, so I stayed back out of sight with my hand at my side ready to draw. She left the door open to come back to me to ask if I had any money to give to her. Her mistakes were just blaring in my mind of people who are so trusting and of the mindset that it'll never happen to them. Unfortunately what I call vigilance, she calls paranoia (she's a doctor in Psychology) so it's an ongoing battle to protect my family in a transparent manner.
I'm grateful for the fact that Indiana has the Castle Doctrine and arming myself for the protection of my family was a no brainer.
Your situation may be different, but let's hear some of your tips in regards to maintaining situational awareness in the prevention of a home invasion.
I just politely remind them that I have noted their pathetic efforts to secure the premises and if there is breach by a criminal any damage is on them.
