“Clearing” rooms during home invasion - Page 2

stephen426 · November 1, 2020, 09:12 AM

This thread was started a year ago and just revived. Interesting comments so far.

A home invasion happened very near to my home, and I live in a nice gated community. It is still accessible to the public, but license plates are taken down and recorded by video. My community is connected to an even nicer community where there are multi-million dollar homes. So for T. O'Heir's comment's, we can't all afford to live on Star Island or Tahiti Beach. As for the statistics he quoted, I guess we don't need to carry guns either.

As for MTT TL, I'm not sure that it is wise to post online that your children had guns in their own rooms at 12 years old. That is against the law in most states as it violates safe storage requirements.

On to the actual question at hand... What to do in a home invasion if your wife and kids are in different rooms. That would really depends on the situation. The incident that occurred in my neighborhood involved several intruders. The homeowner was doing some work outside of his house and left the garage door open. The intruders entered the garage door and grabbed the first person they saw, which was one of the kids. Kids are a lot easier to control so it was probably a calculated move on their part. They marched the parents around the house collecting valuables and then tied them up. The reality is there probably wasn't much that could have been done at that time. The lesson is to always close the garage door and make sure you are armed at all times.

There are so many scenarios that leave one with few options other than compliance. Imagine if you are just walking around the neighborhood with the family and a couple of guys drive up brandishing weapons. They tell you to get in the car and hold your kid at gun point. Are you going get into a gun fight in the middle of the street with your family in the crossfire?

So back to the home invasion scenario. If you hear a loud noise and the alarm goes off, what do you do? I have a pistol in a quick access safe right next to my bed. I would grab that first and move towards my kids' rooms. All of our rooms are on the same side of the house. You have to determine if the intruder has already passed your room based on your home's layout. I would move as quickly as possible to the kids rooms and listen for the intruder. If the intruder has not reached their rooms yet, then grab the kids, and have them follow you back to the safe room. Hopefully the wife has grabbed the home defense shotgun or rifle and you barricade in that room. If the intruder(s) have reached the kids' rooms, you have to decide if it is safer to engage or to comply. That is a highly personal decision that is based on the circumstances and your skill level.

I don't think there is some broad "one size fits all" solution.

shafter · November 1, 2020, 10:50 AM

As others have mentioned, having an alarm system and a hardened home will help buy you time to get to your family if it don't discourage the attack altogether. If someone boots your door in the middle of the night I think you're going to have to directly engage the threat. There isn't going to be time to round up the family and retreat. If the attacker haven't made entry yet then round up the family to the best defensive positon and call 911.

Clearing by yourself is bad news. It simply can't be done in any safe manner. I can't quote the source offhand but I've heard that officers who clear a building alone vs with a partner are 300% more likely to get shot. Having a partner helps but even two people isn't really enough.

I've been to a lot of trainings on this subject including Simunitions and the person coming through the door almost always loses. Best thing you can do as a private citizen is make sure you're home is hardened enough to never have to move through a doorway alone against an armed assailant.

BJung · November 1, 2020, 11:58 AM

Alarm system that tells everyone someone is in the house quietly through your cell phone. Even that Ring doorbell system takes a video of the person at the front door and you can talk to them anywhere in the world while they think you're inside. You can phone the police or your shooting buddies to show up. You're choice.

Alarm system. My cousin's house was broken into a few years ago. They were waiting for him in the dark house when he returned from work. The three pistol whipped him and got money from his bank and he ended up in the hospital.

Alarm system (dog is the cheaper option) because there are products there that will tell you if there is movement in any particular room. With your cell phone, you'll know exactly where the invader is. I'm looking for one for my 90 year old mom and I'll put two sensors at 2 corners of her roof and the whole family will know if anyone is messing around her house. There are indoor sensors too.

FITASC · November 1, 2020, 01:32 PM

Get a nice big, snarling dog..................too many folks playing too many extreme "what if" games which can on ad nauseum and the result is the same - there is no right or wrong answer.
I have lived in 7 different states and 11 different cities, some small, some medium, some large, and have never had these extreme scenarios ever happen anywhere close by. While never say never, I am also not going to live my life existing in constant fear/paranoia that a horde of meth heads are going to be crashing through my door to kill me either.
Assess your own situation and go accordingly.........(Flame suit on, bring it!

)

rodfac · November 1, 2020, 04:08 PM

Great post Mr. O'Heir.

My wife and I are empty nesters now...have been since '97...we live in a 2 story home, on a farm, ~30 minutes from any kind of realistic police response team. We have no nearby neighbors who'd be able to hear any kind of alarm. We have a good/great alarm system.

All of that notwithstanding, we sleep behind a locked door with a loud, defensively minded German Shorthaired Pointer, sleeping on the other side.

We each have bedside guns, and a retreat hallway leading away from the stairway to the 2nd floor. It ends over the garage, in my wife's sewing room. We keep a loaded shotgun there for defensive work while we await the arrival of police. We keep a cell phone with each bedside gun.

When our grand-daughters have sleep overs, the pooch sleeps with them and we leave our bedroom door open but use bedside drawers to conceal the guns.

This works for us, though we've never had to put it to the test...we're 74 & 72 years old. I sincerely hope you find a plan that works for your home environment...and give it some very serious thought.

Best Regards, Rod

AK103K · November 1, 2020, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephen426

As for MTT TL, I'm not sure that it is wise to post online that your children had guns in their own rooms at 12 years old. That is against the law in most states as it violates safe storage requirements.

The fact that this even comes up just shows how sorry the state of things really are these days.

Back on topic, get a couple of big dogs that live with you and are a part of the family, and wear your gun every waking moment. Youll likely be fine in 98% of anything that might pop up.

**4V50 Gary** · November 12, 2020, 12:36 PM

First and foremost is safety of family. I may not want to clear a house but just to ensure that other members of the household are safe.

You have the advantage of knowing the terrain.
Do you have thermal or NVG?

It may be better to secure the members of the household and let the police take the risks.

fastbolt · November 12, 2020, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4V50 Gary

First and foremost is safety of family. I may not want to clear a house but just to ensure that other members of the household are safe.

You have the advantage of knowing the terrain.
Do you have thermal or NVG?

It may be better to secure the members of the household and let the police take the risks.

In a nutshell ... Absofreakinglutely.

Everyone else in this discussion -

Even with training in clearing structures, and having cleared thousands of them during my career, when it comes to my own property - and my family's safety - my first and foremost concern would be to make sure we're all safe and protected against suspected intruders. If family is present on my property, once I can confirm their safety and location, I'll let the local guys & gals come do their thing.

I consider checking to confirm the security of my house, without any reasonable cause to suspect it's been breached by an intruder (or intruders), and without having to worry about other family members being present and having to be isolated in safety, to be a different consideration. Depending.

Basically, having been trained to check and secure premises and areas where I suspect intruders have made an "entry", I'd sooner have the locals come do the task. Now, if it takes up to 30 minutes, or more, for a response? I'll reappraise, as may be necessary. Sometimes there may be no perfect answers to situations, but that doesn't mean you have to quickly choose the "bad" ones without due deliberation and caution.

JERRYS. · November 12, 2020, 08:54 PM

room clearing is a team exercise for people that have had the training. why does this keep coming up for people concerned with residential burglaries or suspected burglaries?

Double K · November 13, 2020, 10:55 AM

2020 burglary statistics

There are 2.5 Million burglaries per year, 66% of which are home break-ins.
A burglary occurs every 13 seconds.
According to the FBI, 65% of burglaries happen between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Homes without a security system have a 300% more chance of getting broken into.
65% of burglars know their victims!
85% of burglaries are committed by non-professionals.
65% of burglaries occur during the day to reduce the chance of someone being home.
An average break-in lasts between 8 and 10 minutes.
According to the FBI, the average loss per burglary is $2,416.
Only 17% of US homes have a security system.

My comment, more than half happen during the day probably while the homeowner is away, wondering how many had barking dogs, few I'm thinking.
I don't have the statistics to prove it but believe a couple of barking dogs to be the best deterrent there is, add to that it's unlikely anyone would ever be able to sneak into a house at night with any even half alert dog.

AK103K · November 13, 2020, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double K

I don't have the statistics to prove it but believe a couple of barking dogs to be the best deterrent there is, add to that it's unlikely anyone would ever be able to sneak into a house at night with any even half alert dog.

Yea, not likely to happen, and even with a little yappy dog, youll likely know where they problem is pretty quick, no need to "clear" anything.

Get some big, protective type dogs (hell, even the ankle biters can be very protective), and if they are dumb enough to keep coming in after all the barking and carrying on has woke you up, the screams and pleading will tell you just where they are. Again, no need to clear anything.

Double K · November 13, 2020, 12:17 PM

I have 3 crazy Chihuahua mixes, the worst one is half miniature Pinscher, they miss nothing anytime of the day or night. Lot's of people turn around half way up the sidewalk and leave just from the commotion going on inside the house, I'm good with that btw!

Scorch · November 13, 2020, 03:41 PM

Quote:

I'm not sure that it is wise to post online that your children had guns in their own rooms at 12 years old. That is against the law in most states as it violates safe storage requirements.

Many of us have children that were 12 years old before there were "safe storage" laws. Those laws are the product of infringement of the 2nd Amendment over the past 30 years (thank you, Bill Clinton).

As far as clearing rooms after a home invasion, I might suggest that you use the responding officers to clear the house. You are not trained, you are not proficient, and things might go from bad to worse if you were charged because you went hunting the home invaders. Your duty as a gun owner does not include the apprehension of perpetrators. In some states you might be covered under "castle doctrine", but many states do not give you that privilege.

FireForged · November 13, 2020, 05:57 PM

Creeping around your home in search of badguys is not really a good way to exploit many conditions in your favor. Honestly, I think its silly business to engage in room clearing if you are acting alone.

AK103K · November 13, 2020, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorch

Many of us have children that were 12 years old before there were "safe storage" laws. Those laws are the product of infringement of the 2nd Amendment over the past 30 years (thank you, Bill Clinton).

I think a lot of the thinking here, is generational in nature. The older generations (prior to those who were born in the late 70's) had a lot more freedom, and usually a lot more responsibilities at a younger age.

We did things as kids that would have a parent arrested these days, and no one gave it a second thought or batted an eye.

NobodyJones · November 14, 2020, 01:22 AM

My wife and I live alone as our kids are grown and gone. We live in a rural area with police protection being county sheriff's deputies or perhaps state police if they are in the area. We both have pistols by the bed at night and I also have a pump shotgun and a 9mm carbine at arms reach. Our long time protector German Shepherd recently had to be put down due to breast cancer so we are without a dog but will correct that soon.

As for clearing the house...Not going to do it. Too many opportunities to get killed over property and its not worth it to me. We will shelter in place, dial 911, and if intruders enter the room we are in they won't leave under their own power.

armoredman · November 14, 2020, 03:54 PM

I live in a skittish part of town because it's what I can afford. The "child" still lives with us, is 20 and has his own AR and PC. Someone tries to break in, first they run afoul of various anti intrusion "obstacles" that are designed to discourage unlawful entry, legally, but if they make it inside, appropriate and legal means of resisting the unlawful armed burglary/burglary of an occupied structure are available, if necessary. Hopefully not, as I have absolutely ZERO wish to be that person if I don't have to.
Now the funny thing is I have lived on Skid Row Lite for a decade or more so far, and we have had absolutely zero troubles so far, not even the car getting scratched. However, I do like to be prepared for emergencies when and where I can be prepared.

BJung · November 15, 2020, 01:03 AM

I was talking to my nephew today about this thread and he said that he'd put a motion detector in every room

shurshot · November 15, 2020, 06:11 AM

Often the specific details of incidents are not mentioned in the news, but many of these home invasions are not random attacks or criminals searching out high profile citizens. One group of bad guys ends up going after another group of unsavory characters whom they know in search of drugs, money or as a form of debt collection and or revenge (often a female and lots of revolving Social media drama occurs prior to the "Home invasion"). All to often it's hard to tell who the real bad guys are, as the Police are only told half the facts by the so called "victims".
The media is either unaware of the connection or intentionally glosses over the facts as they love to perpetuate fear on the airwaves.
I agree with those who advocate having large dogs.

**JohnKSa** · November 15, 2020, 08:12 AM

Quote:

...many of these home invasions are not random attacks or criminals searching out high profile citizens. One group of bad guys ends up going after another group of unsavory characters ...

That's a very good point.

Of course it's not always true, but a lot of the time it is. It is often the case that shootings are bad guys shooting other bad guys.

One important thing to keep in mind is that the police are well aware of that fact. Which means that when they show up to the aftermath of a home invasion, or really any shooting, they are likely to treat everyone involved pretty harshly initially.

I was once present at a driveby shooting. A car went down the street at night firing (apparently randomly) at houses and cars. At the time that the cops showed up, only one instance of damage was known--a vehicle was hit. The officer who responded immediately began questioning the owner of the vehicle--accusing him of knowing who had committed the act and asking why people were after him, accusing him of altering the scene before the officer arrived and generally treating him like a suspect instead of a victim.

At the time I thought it was completely inappropriate behavior, but I later came to realize why the cop responded as he did.

A lot of people think that when the cops show up after a self-defense shooting, they will be treated as heroes. The reality, based on the responding officers' experience with shootings is likely to be somewhat different.

shafter · November 16, 2020, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Often the specific details of incidents are not mentioned in the news, but many of these home invasions are not random attacks or criminals searching out high profile citizens. One group of bad guys ends up going after another group of unsavory characters whom they know in search of drugs, money or as a form of debt collection and or revenge (often a female and lots of revolving Social media drama occurs prior to the "Home invasion"). All to often it's hard to tell who the real bad guys are, as the Police are only told half the facts by the so called "victims".
The media is either unaware of the connection or intentionally glosses over the facts as they love to perpetuate fear on the airwaves.
I agree with those who advocate having large dogs.

This is very true with crime in general. Most of the time law enforcement is playing referee between undesirable elements. Even when law enforcement knows that this is the case, it usually won't make it into the newspapers as such. The news simply reports a home invasion. They neglect to inform us that it's usually about an unpaid drug debt.

Lavan · November 17, 2020, 09:01 AM

Go out the window and start firing into the ground.
The family will freeze in place or hide.
The entire neighborhood,will call the police.
The crooks will wonder what prompted them to pick your place.

woodnbow · November 17, 2020, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lavan

Go out the window and start firing into the ground.
The family will freeze in place or hide.
The entire neighborhood,will call the police.
The crooks will wonder what prompted them to pick your place.

Yes that’s the Joe Biden prescription... fire two shotgun blasts from the ol’ double barreled duck gun. I can think of a few reasons why it’s not a great idea.

AK103K · November 17, 2020, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodnbow

Yes that’s the Joe Biden prescription... fire two shotgun blasts from the ol’ double barreled duck gun. I can think of a few reasons why it’s not a great idea.

Yea, but now you have a valid excuse for when you do it.

Then again, hes been caught lying on tape so many times now, he'll just deny ever saying it.

jrothWA · November 17, 2020, 09:19 PM

First, CALL THE CALAVRY and have them ON the WAY!
What type house, ranch or two-story?

Are the bedrooms in same wing or floor? Are they opposites of the house.

Is there a choke point that controls the access to these rooms?

That your control point NO ONE GET PAST, children are behind you.
Oldest family member is on CELL HONE to 911.

What type lighting in-house that give you darkness and SILHOUETTES the invaders?

Same with outside lighting, illuminate their backsides and DON'T blind you.

November 1, 2020, 09:12 AM	#26
stephen426 Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2005 Posts: 3,840	This thread was started a year ago and just revived. Interesting comments so far. A home invasion happened very near to my home, and I live in a nice gated community. It is still accessible to the public, but license plates are taken down and recorded by video. My community is connected to an even nicer community where there are multi-million dollar homes. So for T. O'Heir's comment's, we can't all afford to live on Star Island or Tahiti Beach. As for the statistics he quoted, I guess we don't need to carry guns either. As for MTT TL, I'm not sure that it is wise to post online that your children had guns in their own rooms at 12 years old. That is against the law in most states as it violates safe storage requirements. On to the actual question at hand... What to do in a home invasion if your wife and kids are in different rooms. That would really depends on the situation. The incident that occurred in my neighborhood involved several intruders. The homeowner was doing some work outside of his house and left the garage door open. The intruders entered the garage door and grabbed the first person they saw, which was one of the kids. Kids are a lot easier to control so it was probably a calculated move on their part. They marched the parents around the house collecting valuables and then tied them up. The reality is there probably wasn't much that could have been done at that time. The lesson is to always close the garage door and make sure you are armed at all times. There are so many scenarios that leave one with few options other than compliance. Imagine if you are just walking around the neighborhood with the family and a couple of guys drive up brandishing weapons. They tell you to get in the car and hold your kid at gun point. Are you going get into a gun fight in the middle of the street with your family in the crossfire? So back to the home invasion scenario. If you hear a loud noise and the alarm goes off, what do you do? I have a pistol in a quick access safe right next to my bed. I would grab that first and move towards my kids' rooms. All of our rooms are on the same side of the house. You have to determine if the intruder has already passed your room based on your home's layout. I would move as quickly as possible to the kids rooms and listen for the intruder. If the intruder has not reached their rooms yet, then grab the kids, and have them follow you back to the safe room. Hopefully the wife has grabbed the home defense shotgun or rifle and you barricade in that room. If the intruder(s) have reached the kids' rooms, you have to decide if it is safer to engage or to comply. That is a highly personal decision that is based on the circumstances and your skill level. I don't think there is some broad "one size fits all" solution. __________________ The ATF should be a convenience store instead of a government agency!

November 1, 2020, 01:32 PM	#29
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,441	Get a nice big, snarling dog..................too many folks playing too many extreme "what if" games which can on ad nauseum and the result is the same - there is no right or wrong answer. I have lived in 7 different states and 11 different cities, some small, some medium, some large, and have never had these extreme scenarios ever happen anywhere close by. While never say never, I am also not going to live my life existing in constant fear/paranoia that a horde of meth heads are going to be crashing through my door to kill me either. Assess your own situation and go accordingly.........(Flame suit on, bring it! ) __________________ "I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."- Frank Zappa

November 1, 2020, 04:08 PM	#30
rodfac Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2005 Location: Kentucky Posts: 3,623	Great post Mr. O'Heir. My wife and I are empty nesters now...have been since '97...we live in a 2 story home, on a farm, ~30 minutes from any kind of realistic police response team. We have no nearby neighbors who'd be able to hear any kind of alarm. We have a good/great alarm system. All of that notwithstanding, we sleep behind a locked door with a loud, defensively minded German Shorthaired Pointer, sleeping on the other side. We each have bedside guns, and a retreat hallway leading away from the stairway to the 2nd floor. It ends over the garage, in my wife's sewing room. We keep a loaded shotgun there for defensive work while we await the arrival of police. We keep a cell phone with each bedside gun. When our grand-daughters have sleep overs, the pooch sleeps with them and we leave our bedroom door open but use bedside drawers to conceal the guns. This works for us, though we've never had to put it to the test...we're 74 & 72 years old. I sincerely hope you find a plan that works for your home environment...and give it some very serious thought. Best Regards, Rod __________________ Cherish our flag, honor it, defend it in word and deed, or get the hell out. Our Bill of Rights has been paid for by heros in uniform and shall not be diluted by misguided governmental social experiments. We owe this to our children, anything less is cowardice. USAF FAC, 5th Spl Forces, Vietnam Vet '69-'73.

November 12, 2020, 12:36 PM	#32
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,831	First and foremost is safety of family. I may not want to clear a house but just to ensure that other members of the household are safe. You have the advantage of knowing the terrain. Do you have thermal or NVG? It may be better to secure the members of the household and let the police take the risks. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

November 13, 2020, 05:57 PM	#39
FireForged Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 1999 Location: Rebel South USA Posts: 2,074	Creeping around your home in search of badguys is not really a good way to exploit many conditions in your favor. Honestly, I think its silly business to engage in room clearing if you are acting alone. __________________ Life is a web woven by necessity and chance...

November 1, 2020, 10:50 AM	#27
shafter Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2009 Posts: 1,624	As others have mentioned, having an alarm system and a hardened home will help buy you time to get to your family if it don't discourage the attack altogether. If someone boots your door in the middle of the night I think you're going to have to directly engage the threat. There isn't going to be time to round up the family and retreat. If the attacker haven't made entry yet then round up the family to the best defensive positon and call 911. Clearing by yourself is bad news. It simply can't be done in any safe manner. I can't quote the source offhand but I've heard that officers who clear a building alone vs with a partner are 300% more likely to get shot. Having a partner helps but even two people isn't really enough. I've been to a lot of trainings on this subject including Simunitions and the person coming through the door almost always loses. Best thing you can do as a private citizen is make sure you're home is hardened enough to never have to move through a doorway alone against an armed assailant.

November 1, 2020, 11:58 AM	#28
BJung Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2019 Posts: 773	Alarm system that tells everyone someone is in the house quietly through your cell phone. Even that Ring doorbell system takes a video of the person at the front door and you can talk to them anywhere in the world while they think you're inside. You can phone the police or your shooting buddies to show up. You're choice. Alarm system. My cousin's house was broken into a few years ago. They were waiting for him in the dark house when he returned from work. The three pistol whipped him and got money from his bank and he ended up in the hospital. Alarm system (dog is the cheaper option) because there are products there that will tell you if there is movement in any particular room. With your cell phone, you'll know exactly where the invader is. I'm looking for one for my 90 year old mom and I'll put two sensors at 2 corners of her roof and the whole family will know if anyone is messing around her house. There are indoor sensors too.

November 12, 2020, 08:54 PM	#34
JERRYS. Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2013 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,968	room clearing is a team exercise for people that have had the training. why does this keep coming up for people concerned with residential burglaries or suspected burglaries?

November 13, 2020, 10:55 AM	#35
Double K Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2020 Location: Colorado Posts: 486	2020 burglary statistics There are 2.5 Million burglaries per year, 66% of which are home break-ins. A burglary occurs every 13 seconds. According to the FBI, 65% of burglaries happen between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Homes without a security system have a 300% more chance of getting broken into. 65% of burglars know their victims! 85% of burglaries are committed by non-professionals. 65% of burglaries occur during the day to reduce the chance of someone being home. An average break-in lasts between 8 and 10 minutes. According to the FBI, the average loss per burglary is $2,416. Only 17% of US homes have a security system. My comment, more than half happen during the day probably while the homeowner is away, wondering how many had barking dogs, few I'm thinking. I don't have the statistics to prove it but believe a couple of barking dogs to be the best deterrent there is, add to that it's unlikely anyone would ever be able to sneak into a house at night with any even half alert dog.

November 13, 2020, 12:17 PM	#37
Double K Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2020 Location: Colorado Posts: 486	I have 3 crazy Chihuahua mixes, the worst one is half miniature Pinscher, they miss nothing anytime of the day or night. Lot's of people turn around half way up the sidewalk and leave just from the commotion going on inside the house, I'm good with that btw!

November 14, 2020, 01:22 AM	#41
NobodyJones Member Join Date: December 21, 2019 Posts: 64	My wife and I live alone as our kids are grown and gone. We live in a rural area with police protection being county sheriff's deputies or perhaps state police if they are in the area. We both have pistols by the bed at night and I also have a pump shotgun and a 9mm carbine at arms reach. Our long time protector German Shepherd recently had to be put down due to breast cancer so we are without a dog but will correct that soon. As for clearing the house...Not going to do it. Too many opportunities to get killed over property and its not worth it to me. We will shelter in place, dial 911, and if intruders enter the room we are in they won't leave under their own power.

November 14, 2020, 03:54 PM	#42
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,297	I live in a skittish part of town because it's what I can afford. The "child" still lives with us, is 20 and has his own AR and PC. Someone tries to break in, first they run afoul of various anti intrusion "obstacles" that are designed to discourage unlawful entry, legally, but if they make it inside, appropriate and legal means of resisting the unlawful armed burglary/burglary of an occupied structure are available, if necessary. Hopefully not, as I have absolutely ZERO wish to be that person if I don't have to. Now the funny thing is I have lived on Skid Row Lite for a decade or more so far, and we have had absolutely zero troubles so far, not even the car getting scratched. However, I do like to be prepared for emergencies when and where I can be prepared.

November 15, 2020, 01:03 AM	#43
BJung Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2019 Posts: 773	I was talking to my nephew today about this thread and he said that he'd put a motion detector in every room

November 15, 2020, 06:11 AM	#44
shurshot Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2006 Posts: 1,819	Often the specific details of incidents are not mentioned in the news, but many of these home invasions are not random attacks or criminals searching out high profile citizens. One group of bad guys ends up going after another group of unsavory characters whom they know in search of drugs, money or as a form of debt collection and or revenge (often a female and lots of revolving Social media drama occurs prior to the "Home invasion"). All to often it's hard to tell who the real bad guys are, as the Police are only told half the facts by the so called "victims". The media is either unaware of the connection or intentionally glosses over the facts as they love to perpetuate fear on the airwaves. I agree with those who advocate having large dogs. Last edited by shurshot; November 15, 2020 at 06:57 AM.

November 17, 2020, 09:01 AM	#47
Lavan Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 1999 Location: California Posts: 2,716	Go out the window and start firing into the ground. The family will freeze in place or hide. The entire neighborhood,will call the police. The crooks will wonder what prompted them to pick your place.

November 17, 2020, 09:19 PM	#50
jrothWA Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2006 Posts: 2,519	First, CALL THE CALAVRY and have them ON the WAY! What type house, ranch or two-story? Are the bedrooms in same wing or floor? Are they opposites of the house. Is there a choke point that controls the access to these rooms? That your control point NO ONE GET PAST, children are behind you. Oldest family member is on CELL HONE to 911. What type lighting in-house that give you darkness and SILHOUETTES the invaders? Same with outside lighting, illuminate their backsides and DON'T blind you.