THE Home Invasion thread

[Ruffnek]

View attachment 23056 Caucasian Mountian Sheperds, only dog in the world with a stopping power of a .45 !

Holy s**t!When we get our house,one of these will become a member of the family.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Sliding glass doors: not sure how easy or hard they are to pry open, but a large dowel rod in the track will keep anyone wider than the cat from entering without making a lot of noise. Door chimes are part of the security system, we have the $6 magnet separation siren things on the widows. 120 decibels will get your attention.

And if you have a REAL alarm system from a REAL alarm company (not just some national franchise that advertises on TV and sends in techs to install cookie cutter systems like Brinks, ADT, etc) They can do things like glass break sensors that set off the system even if its not armed. I did that with my glass slider. Even if the family is home and somebody bricks the patio door to gain entry and the alarm isnt armed, it WILL make noise and alert the central station as a special panic condition. I had to ask for a special config for that. (it helps I work for my alarm company and the residential alarm manager's desk is 30 steps from mine )

Near my home, 3 houses have their yard lamp burned out. Well, I'm guessing their photo sensor is bad, I replaced ours when we first bought the place. 1 keeps zero outside lights on, and my from porch has a security camera staring at you. Guess who will not be targeted? Keep your yard bright and bushes near windows low! Last white van I saw unmarked on our street saw me open carrying checking my mail. No victims here!

In talking with officers here during my last car break-in, they HATE my neighborhood. No street lights so the criminals run rampant since most people dont leave porch lights on. Luckilly its piddly crap like busting out your car window for something on the seat, but still. I have done my part to light up my section of the street with dawn to dusk porch and floods lighting up my block. A couple months ago a guy at the end of the street installed a new porch light that takes up the slack for where my lights struggled to reach. No more shadows.

When we come home from any trip away from the house we can see the green light for the alarm system on in the garage. But that doesn't mean the house is safe. The windows aren't alarmed. I NEVER enter without my pistol on my hip with my hand on it. After I unlock the door I push it open quickly and hard. If it hits something the gun will come out and we will back off. If I have groceries or luggage to carry they can wait until I open the door and check the main floor doors and make sure the basement door is still locked. I'll never forget the Gilligan family massacre in Evansville in 1980. That is on my mind every time I walk in.

I used to leave my front porch light on every night until I read about a school corporation somewhere that turned most of their outside lighting off. It cut vandalism by a huge percentage because momma's little boys couldn't see in the dark.

I'd suggest having your alarm system upgraded. wireless window sensors can be added relatively inexpensively. Even if you just install those cheap $2 self contained magnetic screamers somebody mentioned above, its better than nothing. You can even get some that have special disabling "keys" that allow you to open the window when its nice out. Simply stick the key in and opening the window wont cause an alarm.

And screw the dark porch light. While darkness is the tagger's enemy, its a burglar's best assistant; if he cant be seen, he's less likely to be caught, has more time to work, etc. I dont know about you, but I'd rather be tagged than robbed.

 

[Sgtusmc]

I read up on those Caucasian mountain shepherds. They are a rough breed to maintain a handle on and depending upon where you live can be more of a liability than an asset.

I also have a sign posted that looks somewhat like this:

Neighborhood kids create major holes in your security. One of our neighbors kept getting broken into and their X-Box and games were stolen. Turned out to be friends of the kids that lived there. I've already had several talks with my kids on how things work and to choose their friends wisely. One of my 10 yr old's friends is a sincere good kid and i've met his parents. He is welcome to come into the house on occasion. A few other neighborhood kids (9 and 10 yrs old) are already fighting in the streets, calling other kids racist names, lie, and have brothers and cousins that live up and down the street who are criminals (by his own admission). I keep an extra eye on those kids and generally let them know that they won't be pulling any of their crap when I'm around.

Kids like that will case the home for their older brothers and relatives and sometimes it's done innocently. "Damn, Jimmy down the street has a playstation, buncha games, they gots art on the walls..."

 

[indiucky]

We had an incident a couple of years ago and I sent a letter to ferfal308 of survivinginargentina.com and he posted it on his blog. I have posted the link here a few times but if ok with the mods I will just copy it and post it here. Kirk nailed it about yelling "Who is it?" in a loud voice (I use a hillbilly accent rather than Kirk's cool English accent but remember Kirk, a hillbilly accent ain't nuthin' but a 300 year old English accent that's been isolated in the hollers for a couple of hundred years.)

Some of the LEO's may chime in on this but I have heard the use of a "sob story" and a well dressed female "decoy" has become the latest MO on these invasions along with a couple of helpers (to be able to drive off your vehicles.) I also heard from more than one LEO that the folks commiting Home Invasions are the same folks that were armed robbing quickie marts that switched careers with the advent of time locked safes and security cameras in said establishemnts. The chance of a rape if there are females in the home is roughly 15% but goes up to 28% or so if there is alcohol in the home. Holiday's tend to get the most hits....Neighbors are less likely to get concerned over strange vehicles and unfamiliar faces going in the home around Holidays...I researched this quite a bit after it happened because it freaked me out a wee bit... Here is the story written a couple of days after it happened.

Fernando,

I have been reading your blog for quite sometime. I worked at a gun shop in Southern Indiana and you are very well respected in Kentucky and the southern Indiana region. I suggested your blog to may people coming in asking for advice on security and SHTF scenarios.

My wife's family is from Argentina and immigrated to the US in the 60's. My mother in law went back to open a business after retiring. She lives in Sante Fe and my father in law used to work at the federal prison near the Beagle Canal at the southern tip of Argentina. I am writing to thank you for your blog and to let you know your reporting on home invasions led me to begin answering the door with a weapon. I have a cc permit and have carried for quite sometime. Whenever I came in I would take the gun off and put it in a cabinet and put it back on when I left. I began answering the door armed after reading a few home invasion accounts you gave and that is where the gratitude stems from.

New Years eve at 4:30 in the afternoon while I was in the basement on the computer surfing the web and my wife, cousin, and daughter were in the next room over doing the same there was a banging on the front door and my bird dog began barking. I ran upstairs and was half way to the door when I decided to tuck my gun in my belt. I thought it was my uncle picking up my cousin but instead it was a well dressed, middle aged black woman, with short hair, who bore a strong resemblence to Wanda Sykes, the comedian. She was at the door begging me to open it up, she said two men in a white truck had tried to rape her and that she had broke loose and needed my help. I was armed and began to open the door when something just didn't feel right. I told her I would be back and yelled downstairs for my wife to grab her gun and to call 911 and tell them a woman is on our porch claiming to have been raped. I went back to the door and noticed she was wearing a sling and had her other hand inside as if to keep warm. She again asked me to open up the door. I told the lady to hang tight. She then said she needed a ride. By this time my wife was asking for a description of the woman and the police were telling her that officers where on the way. I again, within ear shot ask my wife if she was armed and while looking down at the womans face through the door I began giving a very detailed description. She knew at that moment I was on with the police and took off. My wife was watching the back door (she had my back so to speak) while I was at the front and she was on with the police. The police pulled up, two cars, 2 minutes after she took off. They asked where she was and I told them which direction she headed and one of the officers told me she had just held a knife to a guys throat a block away and got his wallet. They took off in the direction I pointed. I found out later that another witness saw her get in a white truck with two black males. The attempt failed. I am assuming she was to get in and threaten me and the guys in the truck would have pulled up and came in behind her. If I would have opened the door and she would have attacked I am confident I would have killed her but I am equally confident I would have been cut in the process. This woman did not look like a thug. She looked like a school teacher. I have second guessed myself as some of my friends say they would have went outside and tried to hold her for police. All I knew was me, 5 shots of .38, and a door was all that was between my family and danger and I was not going to open that door on my own. What is still bothering me is how close I came to doing so. What if she would have been crying and a better actor? What if I would have noticed the sling right away and thought. "Oh my. She is hurt." and opened the door? What if I would have done that and not stopped on the way to my door and armed myself? I just wanted to share this story you. My wifes cousin is coming up from BS next month and that is good because my wife is running out of mat'e!

Richard

Clarksville, IN USA​

Congratulations Richard! You handled that very well.

 

[Gluemanz28]

My wife and I sleep behind a dead-bolted 1 3/4" bedroom door with a metal u-plate abound the door hardware. The catch plate in the frame has 3" deck screws going into the 2x4. Our outside doors are always locked, at all times, even when I'm out in the yard cutting grass and my wife is doing house work. (She had an uncle who lived in town who had some thieves come in through the front door and steal jewelry while he and his wife were relaxing in the back yard.)

When we come home from any trip away from the house we can see the green light for the alarm system on in the garage. But that doesn't mean the house is safe. The windows aren't alarmed. I NEVER enter without my pistol on my hip with my hand on it. After I unlock the door I push it open quickly and hard. If it hits something the gun will come out and we will back off. If I have groceries or luggage to carry they can wait until I open the door and check the main floor doors and make sure the basement door is still locked. I'll never forget the Gilligan family massacre in Evansville in 1980. That is on my mind every time I walk in.

I used to leave my front porch light on every night until I read about a school corporation somewhere that turned most of their outside lighting off. It cut vandalism by a huge percentage because momma's little boys couldn't see in the dark.

If I had to chose between burned to death because the fire department or a neighbor couldn't get in to help or being shot I think I would rather take a bullet. I think the risk of fire is greater than home invasion.

 

[SkullDaddy.45]

I'll bet they shed like a mother ^%*&^ too.

Enough to make everyone in INGO a nice Christmas sweater!!!

 

[mom45]

Enough to make everyone in INGO a nice Christmas sweater!!!

That's a lot of sweaters! I better get the crochet hooks ready to go or learn to knit better. I'm reading this and thinking it is unbelievable how people have to live in fear in their own home. I keep my guns handy and we recently added storm doors that have deadbolts but sleeping behind a bolted bedroom door, etc.??? Wow....we don't even have a bedroom door since our room is a loft and doesn't even have a wall where the stairs come up. I guess that would allow for a clean shot if someone were coming up the stairs at night...a laser dot would be pretty impressive in the dark as their head comes into view

 

[beachhead40]

Holy s**t!When we get our house,one of these will become a member of the family.

its a 3k puppy :\

 

[SkullDaddy.45]

its a 3k puppy :\

Yup, and they don't sell to everyone. Extremely difficult dogs to train and control.

 

[88GT]

That's a lot of sweaters! I better get the crochet hooks ready to go or learn to knit better. I'm reading this and thinking it is unbelievable how people have to live in fear in their own home. I keep my guns handy and we recently added storm doors that have deadbolts but sleeping behind a bolted bedroom door, etc.??? Wow....we don't even have a bedroom door since our room is a loft and doesn't even have a wall where the stairs come up. I guess that would allow for a clean shot if someone were coming up the stairs at night...a laser dot would be pretty impressive in the dark as their head comes into view

So now caution and preventive efforts are nothing more than manifestations of fear and paranoia?

 

[mom45]

So now caution and preventive efforts are nothing more than manifestations of fear and paranoia?

Maybe not depending on where you live, but I'm thinking I would not want to live where I felt I had to take that many precautions. I thought it was bad when we had to start locking our doors!

 

[Lunati]

So now caution and preventive efforts are nothing more than manifestations of fear and paranoia?

To a certain extent yes...

 

[VN Vet]

This item seems great. Thanks for posting. I'm going to get three of them.

 

[88GT]

Maybe not depending on where you live, but I'm thinking I would not want to live where I felt I had to take that many precautions.

Tell ya what, go to the Break Room and start a thread with a poll asking how many INGOers have been the victim of a home invastion, robbery, or assault and if they had thought prior to that crime if it would have been a likely thing based on "where they live." I think you will find that your presumption is extremely flawed.

I thought it was bad when we had to start locking our doors!

Well, why do you lock your doors? You skeered or something? I wouldn't want to live where I had to take that precaution.

 

[88GT]

To a certain extent yes...

Elaborate. I happen to disagree that being prepared to meet a threat is a manifestation of fear, but if you've got some insight into the human psyche that can change my mind, I'll give ya a whirl at it.

 

[mom45]

Tell ya what, go to the Break Room and start a thread with a poll asking how many INGOers have been the victim of a home invastion, robbery, or assault and if they had thought prior to that crime if it would have been a likely thing based on "where they live." I think you will find that your presumption is extremely flawed.


Well, why do you lock your doors? You skeered or something? I wouldn't want to live where I had to take that precaution.

There are many areas where I wouldn't live. We have break ins nearby as I see them in the police report. We have friends who have had homes broken into. I believe we've had attempts here when we were not home, but it was likely kids. We have more and more issues with meth in our area so locking the doors seems rather prudent, but other than being careful not to share too much info about our schedule, when we'll be gone, etc. I'm not going to extremes. If someone breaks in when I'm not home, they aren't going to get much. If they break in when we are home, I feel sorry for them. I don't sleep that soundly. Even the cat playing with stuff on my dresser wakes me up. Everyone we've known who has had a break in feels sure it was someone who had been in their home before with their permission. I don't let random people in my home and if someone comes and brings along someone I don't know, they never make it more than a few feet inside the door. They can see from there that there is not much worth breaking in for! Unless they like old TV's and even older computers.

I do think I'd like one of those puppies though!

 

[heavyhitter1k]

How do you secure a front entry door that has those windows on each side? No long deck screws because the window is right there.
http://images-38.har.com/e1/MediaDisplay/38/hr3240838-3.jpg (minus the above arch basically).

 

[88GT]

This isn't about where you live. This is about you assuming that people who take an active role in not being a victim are motivated out of fear. You call it prudence when you do it. Why is someone else any different?

 

[Sgtusmc]

You can be proactive and you can be reactive. People are inclined to be 'successful' when they are proactive. Being proactive leads to confidence in what you do and how you live. Being reactive holds many unknowns which leads to fear.

Gee, why don't we ALL just move to where it's 'safe'?

 

[88GT]

How do you secure a front entry door that has those windows on each side? No long deck screws because the window is right there.
http://images-38.har.com/e1/MediaDisplay/38/hr3240838-3.jpg (minus the above arch basically).

There should still be a 2x4 between the door and the sidelights. But a steel security door would go even farther to protecting against forced entry. Unfortunately, the weak point will always be the sidelight windows. You can rebuild them to make them half-height, but that will only limit the access through them. THey could still be broken to provide access to the locking mechanism. So the solution to that is the a 3M product, but I don't remember exactly what it is. Several other INGOers have it installed in their homes though.