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Home Invasions

8K views 55 replies 36 participants last post by  USMM guy 
#1 · (Edited)
Lets talk a little about home invasions. First off, thankfully I've never been targeted and I hope I never do and that goes for all of you on here as well.

First, why are some homes targeted in the first place? I know where you live, being suburban, urban or rural can have something to do with it. No matter what setting you live it, it can happen. Is one setting safer then another? Are certain doors or windows targeted as being ''easier'' to get past?

How about where your home placement is. Is being crammed in a row on a block safer then say a home on and end lot of a row? What about a long deserted driveway that leads to a home setting far back from a main road?

Are the homes only targeted after any length of time upon being watched for a while? Number of people living there? Family or single resident? Age of occupants being younger or older? Male or female? Or does it happen no matter what? Let's just pick this place and see what's behind door A, then door B and C? The hours one occupant is home can be quite easy to determine if cars parked outside. Fake door salesman can also being looking for their next place to strike based on who answers the door and what they can see inside and what is said about items in home based on bogus questions.

How about the time of day, being day time or night? Is it easier for them to strike at night when most are in bed asleep or during the day time?

I know having a dog or two can be a big help, does that matter to them or not?

Do they care about what day of the week it is? Think about this for a moment. Many have weekends off, that means maybe staying up later on a Friday or Saturday night. Now think about a week night, families focused on schedules on time for dinner, kids homework or activities, kids getting cleaned up and put to bed and adults thinking about their next day of work maybe doing some last minute laundry for the week. Could adults with or without kids and a busy schedule be caught off guard easier on a busy weeknight then a more relaxed weekend schedule? Maybe thinking a bit less about ''preparing'' for the night with the normal kids / family routine?

How about the season of the year? The winter time is a great time when the power is out in a block or two. You know, alarms probably won't be working, immediately police help is delayed in the snow and ice for us who get hit with it...haha. No working lights unless generators are being used as a back-up. Summer time, maybe someone leaves a slider door or window open at night when they go to bed? How many times have we all seen neighbors leaving their garage doors open all night when we leave early in the morning? I see this way more in the spring and summer months. Talk about an invite.

Would you be ready in the listed event?

I constantly think about my security when at home, unfamiliar cars parked in my neighborhood, the never seen before face around, the door to door knockers and the who's who in my world or normal. Head is always on a swivel.

Sorry, I know it kinda long and quite worded.

And no, I'm not paranoid, suffering from a lack of sleep or heat stroke...haha.

What are your thoughts on this? Add as you see fit. Thanks.
 
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#5 ·
The vast majority are turd vs. turd and robbing their dope/money. Of course, concrete statistics are hard to come by, especially in this PC era. Most are under B&E, aggravated robbery, etc. Hollywood movies aside, I wouldn't fret too much if you are a law abiding citizen. ;)
 
#3 ·
I don't believe that anyone or any place is truly immune from a home invasion but some places are likely safer than others. Just being in a rural area with an already low crime rate also probably helps (my location for example).
I feel safer here than I did when I lived in a more urban area.
We have dogs that do bark at strange noises & one of them will "protect" his family. Since we don't have small children living with us, there are loaded firearms in every room, plus I carry when I'm outside the house.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Sxxx happens (let the vid play till they get to the actual violent part - all caught on a nany cam):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvvHMM6TF50

I read somewhere that most SD encounters involving a gun is in a home. Antidotal, both the NRA political mag which always has a section of SD stories, and Combat Handguns "It happened to me" supports this - most of the stories involve a home invasion. The second most frequent stories seem to be either someone's business or road/car breakdowns.

I recommend to all my F&F to have at least one working gun in the house. This assumes I feel the person is responsible enough to follow the gun-safety rules, and will put in a basic amount of range-time...Even more important for a women or seniors - they can be singled-out/targeted by creeps. None of my non-gun friends have taken my advise yet. I think some of this has to do on your life experience. I grew up in a very violent neighborhood, no guns, but just about everything else (bats, chains, bottles). Drinking/fighting/beatings were just part of the teenage and early 20s seen. (I took steps to extract myself from this by joining the Navy). Many of my friends now grew up in a "sanitized" environment, and haven't seen up close how ugly and violent one human bean can be to another.

When I was younger, I figured I'd just kick the bad-guys ass; as I get older, I realized there are more practical solutions :) (if I (or to protect family) am in fear of my life).

My home security includes: ADT, Many motion-sensitive flood-lights, of course locked doors, and I always let my close-friend neighbors know if I am going to be out more than an hour or two (we help each other like that). Next door lives my good friend a retired corrections officer. This guy sees/notices everything going on on the block. I guess it was from 20 years experience staring down at the criminals in his guard tower...Dog is a great idea, but our cat :) would not allow that.

None of these steps are fool-proof by a long shot, but the idea is putting up layers of deterrents and having a plan in case the deterrents do not work.
C.A.
(It is not near where I live, so I am not sure, but I believe that vid is of a home in a so-called "respectable" nj neighborhood. It can happen anywhere.)
 
#7 ·
I dare somebody to kick down my doors. Hinges are screwed in with 4 inch screws on the jamb side, 1/4" machine screws and welded on the door side. Latch plate is also screwed in with 4" screws, door has a good deadbolt and upper and lower locks. A battering ram would take enough blows that I could meet them on the other side with lots of firepower. A dog that is looking forward to eating somebody, will deter someone from coming through the windows.
 
#45 ·
I hate to break it to you , but size of the screws don't matter that much. More like what kind , what type of door and what are they screwed into.
Trust me , put in enough of them.
Best thing is a dog , doesn't have to be huge , but needs to be loud. My goes crazy when she hears car pulling into driveway. Lol
 
#8 ·
OP
There are times in my life that I have been more "parinoid" than others. Nothing to do with drugs or anything like that....just "very" aware. I think we run in spurts when it comes to things like that and you may be there now, good on you. Use this time to change the way you look at things.
I've had friends that have been in this security zone for years, and frankly they really don't enjoy life and people. Me, I've found a middle road. Ack pleasant but always alert.
Home invasion is only a small part of ones personal security worries....don't let it consume you.
 
#9 ·
I have metal security "screen doors" on the entries in my home, except the back sliding door. I do not believe it reasonably possible to get past the security doors, but admit the back sliding door is vulnerable.
Jerry
 
#10 · (Edited)
I'm less likely to be invaded in my home town down on Tobaccy Road than when I'm visiting my progeny in suburban Atlanta. I generally stay with my daughter, who does have an alarm system.

I do sleep with a nightstand firearm nearby, and I always set the alarm at night. I also set the alarm during the day when I leave the residence.

I like the idea of having a dog(s) inside. Great alarm system.

Fact is, there are a lot of uncivilized savages in this country. Be prepared.

My current dilemma is finding a 9mm defensive round that won't have so much blowback through the ejection port of my G19, with a suppressor attached. I want to neither ruin my hearing or be peppered by blowback, should I have to use my G19 in a case of s.d.
 
#11 ·
First off, I think the biggest problem is drugs and can't for the life of me figure why drug dealing isn't considered domestic terrorism. The bigger dealers should be put away where they have no access to visitors, phones etc. where they can still run there business from the inside. And why do we do business with certain countries who don't make much effort to stop the flow from leaving their countries. It's getting to be a epidemic and effects more than the few doing the drugs. I guess all we can do is try to batten down, stay armed and hope they start hitting mansions instead. Of coarse big brother would pass more firearms laws to try to protect themselves anyway. Sorry I'm just in a mood today, my sis-in-law is coming to visit for awhile. YEEEAAAH.
 
#13 ·
Boge


Yep. i.e (You owe me money for a gram of meth...So I'm gonna beat your ass in your own living room and then I'm gonna take your 32" Visio and your Playstation.)

The above comprises 98% of Home Invasions, where as Carr Brothers style home invasions comprise the other 2%.
I'd appreciate a link to your source for this information. I'm surprised that meth dealers are involved in such a high percentage of home invasions. In the Atlanta area, home invasions are generally committed by the same demographic who commit a majority of all the crimes in the Atlanta area, and meth isn't their drug of choice. ;)
 
#15 ·
My LEO friends that I shoot with point out that most home invasions they respond to are done by groups of 2 or more individuals, with weapons of some kind, expecting people at home and more than willing to assault the owners. Also, this type of crime is on the increase.

Rick
 
#16 ·
I think the increase is that it's going up from Almost None to Some.

From the ones I've read of it IS usually "turd on turd" as it was elegantly put.

Other similar variations: Turd-on-turd but they get the wrong house. Or they get the right house but the turds have vacated & the new occupants are innocent.

Then there's the one that happened to my good-guy co-worker in Vista Ca. Dog killed, pistol-whipped, robbed of guns & money. Masked crooks got away.

Then a nearly identical crime happened in Mission Beach. Same everything but a girl got raped too. Crooks got busted on that one.

Turns out they were "friends" of my co-worker's son. (His dope-smoking buddies.)

Legally, I think that they did not get convicted on the first one. Don't know for sure.

But that too, was turd-on-turd.
 
#17 ·
Without doing a ton of research, I'd think that there are more home invasions in places that are big cities compared to rural areas.

There are more "Carr Brothers" type home invasions in Kansas than "In Cold Blood" type home invasions. (Personal Opinon, the Carr brothers should be executed by now, and I'd be willing to provide the firearm, ammunition and pull the trigger if the State of Kansas would let me.)

However, I'd think that having decent security measures in any home is the key to safety.

Don't advertise your belongings. The 100" Flat Screen prominently displayed so the neighbors can watch is probably a 'lure'. (Just an example)

Steel Framed Steel Doors with Double Key Deadbolt Locks are a good idea.
Steel Framed, Steel Storm Door Gates are another. (My niece in Denver has these, she's a Sheriffs Deputy.)
An Alarm System is one thing to do, although I don't like the companies and their practices. I personally know of one instance where the "Computerized Surveillance Cameras) one guy had were 'hacked' and provided a weak spot for a burglar to steal a bunch of tools and vandalize the RV stored inside.

Being aware of surroundings, good lighting, and not walking off with doors unlocked is also one way of helping to avoid issues.

And then, this is my personal opinion only, with no scientific evidence to back it up, but I'd bet that if more home invasions, and drive-by shootings for that matter, were met with return fire by Home Owners and Neighbors, a lot of this stuff would stop.

It might be "Fun" to drive through a neighborhood shooting things up, or blitzing into a house and robbing the owners, but it's not nearly as much fun when the Homeowner fires back.
 
#18 ·
As previously posted, I had the delight of some young latinos who tried to break into my home one night about midnight. Could have easily killed three of them but didn't want the hassles of court appearances or civil law suits from the underprivileged family members who depended on the burglaries for their income.
It was actually pretty funny and they just don't know how close they were to meeting face to face with God. The squirts of fecal matter and salsa left an indelible mark in the lawn as they left. Matter of record with the Anaheim PD.
Even here in Montana we have an occasional home invasion. Usually means the BG dies. Keeps the numbers down.
 
#19 ·
All the steps mentioned on hardening the site; lights, dogs, locks, ADT, etc., are great and you should do as much of that as you can. The goal is to make your place unattractive as a target, because there will always be much easier ones to hit. You should have nothing on your vehicles or property that could give people clues about your political persuasion or what you may have inside, like guns. Why political? Don't be stupid - you know as well as I that today's punks ride around looking for old, white conservatives who have NRA stickers on everything. In this way they can make a statement and get some guns too. I live on a cul-de-sac, and any time I see one of 'those' cars come down the street slow and looking around, I stare them down (Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino, except short and fat:)). You have to be a little paranoid sometimes to see threats where others see only rambunctious kids, but having been a juvenile delinquent 55 years ago, I know exactly what goes on after dark in these neighborhoods.
Good locks, closed blinds at night, motion-sensing lights, ADT or similar, keep plants trimmed around the house, maintain a completely innocuous 'signature' on your house and cars, but most of all, be suspicious of everybody and everything coming within your 'radar'.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Two men targeted my house last September when I was working the midnight shift. My neighbor spotted them and scared them off by turning on her lights and standing in the window. By 10 AM, everyone in the neighborhood new about it and I called police.

Here is what I did.

1). I changed my phone number to an unlisted one. I did this on a Saturday as the attack was on the day before. I also took a week off from work. Had the boss not allowed it, I would have quit.

2). I was so scared I didn't leave my house at any time of darkness for that week. I carry guns daily anyway, so no change there.

3). When I did return to work, I was a nervous wreck so I left my car parked in the driveway like I was home and borrowed a car that I would park out-of-sight at a neighbor's house and walk to and from to my house. I did this for a couple of months.

4). I put in double cylinder deadbolts onto all my doors. If they come through a window they won't be getting out a door.

5). I tried to get my front french glass doors replaced but those are a non standard size and would take months to have custom made, so I settled upon expanded metal (1/16" screens like the ones that separate front and back seats in police cars) and had that cut to size. I rounded off the edges, primed and painted, and over a period of two days, took a door off the hinges and bolted that on over the exterior of the glass.

6). To prevent a kick in through the door when I am gone, I bolted (all bolts are double nutted on the inside) on the biggest locking latch I could and stuck on the biggest padlock Lowe's sells.

7). My house looks a bit like a jail now but I haven't had any more problems. More is planned though.

8). Oh ya, I installed door jamb armor over hinges and the lock side with 3.5" and 4" screws.

9). A few months after the abortive attack, three men were arrested for home invasions that matched the description of what my neighbor gave me. I hope it was those guys.

10). I am pretty sure had I been home and awake that I would have neutralized the one that came through and I may have (depending on state of self control) gotten the wheel man as well.

11). I do plan more lights, bars on windows (now that I am learning how to weld that will be a much cheaper endeavor), window film, claymores, pits, auto flood with alligator release, low yield nuclear self destruct device, etc. I really like the "auto transporter trap" that Star Trek World sells. Anyone tripping the IR detector gets beamed to a planet (or just outer space) of your choosing. I'll set mine for the center of the sun. :p I guess the Oval Office would work just as well.
 
#27 ·
I remember being young and going for walks with my Grandfather around a few blocks and walked past one home that always stood out. This white home had black steel bars over the windows and every time we walked by, my Grandfather would point out the bars and tell me they've been burglarized several times over the years and decided to put a stop to it. Well, it did stop as it never happened again.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I'm in the commercial alarm business and cannot recommend ADT or any other company the does leases or bait-and-switch sales. Nothing is free. I think in perimeters of protection. Simplisafe.com has a great website if you know the difference between a Phillips and a slotted screwdriver.

Criminals are not all stupid. Some will case the neighborhood to know when people are home or away. Daytime burglaries are more common. I've been robbed twice in broad daylight when no one in the neighborhood was home. The alarm system warning sign in the yard can be one of the best deterrents. An alarm system with door and window contacts, coupled with motion detectors and glass break detectors can cover multiple perimeters of protection. Video surveillance cameras only help if they are good enough to identify a bad guy. I have two on my home - one on the back door and one on the front. Most daytime burglars will walk up and ring the doorbell just to see if someone is home. No one home, they go to work. Also, unless you have a trained attack dog, most pets will just want some attention front the bad guys! My dogs will bark their fool heads off until the people coming in pet them. I tested them with a friend.

By nice to your retired neighbors. They are the ones that are most likely to be home during the day.

If your property looks inviting, i.e. lots of toys, bikes, toys, motorcycles, etc. Your a target. Thieves also like to check out what boxes are being set on the curb for pickup like big scene TVs saying come get me. This happens around Christmas alot.

Stay safe my friends.
 
#26 ·
Also, unless you have a trained attack dog, most pets will just want some attention front the bad guys! My dogs will bark their fool heads off until the people coming in pet them. I tested them with a friend.

By nice to your retired neighbors. They are the ones that are most likely to be home during the day.

Stay safe my friends.
Were they "Golden Retreivers"? We had one of those that would have shown the burglars where things were if they'd have given her a treat and a bellyrub....

As for the "Retired Neighbors"? That's us. And our neighbors know it and let us know if things will be different as they know I'll call the cops.

About a year ago, 4 hoods were 'standing around' at 10:30 at night. Neighbors mom was leaving and noticed them. It scared her enough to come to our house, ring the bell and ask my advice. I called the cops. Then I escorted her to her car and watched her leave to ensure she was safe. (She knows I'm armed)

Cops showed up and while the hoods weren't doing anything that night, a few nights later, one of them was arrested as part of a county wide burglary ring. He'd been casing the neighborhood.

Didn't like having the cops called on him.

Evidently, that's bad for "Business".

So yeah, alert neighbors are a good thing.

Mine know I'm alert enough to keep an eye on things, but not so nosey as to get on their nerves.

And while I'll call the cops or fire department when practical, I've got the tools and the knowledge of how best to use them if needed.
 
#29 · (Edited)
We have plenty of home invasions here in South Florida. To be honest, I would guess that 80% of them are drug related, involve the Latin, Spanish speaking immigrant community and often involve crooks dressed up as fake cops. About two weeks ago there was one, a child called 911 that her parents were being held at gunpoint. At first, the family believe it was police with a search warrant until they were inside and realized they were being robbed. The child was hiding in her room and the robbers were unaware of her presence. When the cops showed up, they found that there was a marijuana grow house in the back. In the end, both the robbers and the victim were booked in jail.

http://www.wsvn.com/story/28762479/police-imposters-target-home-leads-to-grow-house-bust
HIALEAH, Fla. (WSVN) -- A home invasion by two men pretending to be cops led to a grow house bust in Hialeah, Thursday, said police.

Authorities had spent almost 10 hours on the scene to investigate this case. They first responded to the call of an armed home invasion at 1750 W. 62nd St., at around 6:30 a.m.
In 80% of these cases, it's some drug related issue. A drug dealer that is said to have cheated a buyer or seller, and someone comes collecting money or drugs at gun point, or someone finds out of the location of a drug stash, grow house, or drug dealer with lots of cash and the crooks dress up as cops and do a faux police raid.

Unfortunately for these druggies... the castle doctrine or SYG is off limits to them since anyone committing a felony cannot use the state statutes in self defense.
 
#35 ·
A couple of comments about posts plus. A big +1 for a dog, any kind that barks, a known deterrent. Complaints about ADT; I had them for a couple of years and when the alarm went off by accident (stupidity) they only responded half the time. Their explanation; "We realize that people set it off by accident and sometimes do not respond unless it recycles."

When living on L.I. for a period of time home invasions really spiked in the news. A fellow MC rider who I knew slightly explained it. The police had decided not to list home invasions as such unless there was a major injury or death otherwise they were considered a "robbery". But the information officer was new to the job and started reporting all home invasions as such. So they did not spike on accurately reported.

Your responsibility as a responsible gun owner is to consider what you would do if it happens to you. Be prepared. Know yourself. Can you actually shoot or would you take time to consider? Mentally preparing yourself so it is something that is shocking but hopefully with thought out decisions and plans you will respond in a way to save yourself and family.
 
#36 ·
7in1911,

Lots of great questions.

A suggestion to consider. My local Sheriffs department offers a free in home Security inspection. They will send a specially trained Deputy to your house to do a very through walk thru with you. I was amazed at how many weakness points I had. When the Deputy completed he gave me a worksheet of his findings with suggestion on how to fix each finding.

It was worth every penny. If you have not already done this, may I suggest you reach out to your local Police jurisdiction and ask if they have a similar program. It will go a long way in helping you Harden your home against crime.

There are many things you can do to deter a criminal. Making your home a harder target is easy once you know what to do.
 
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