Deterring burglars especially at night

[Manatee]

There used to be a device that you hung on the inside doorknob. If someone touched the outside doorknob, the device would bark like a large vicious dog. It worked at home or in hotel rooms.

In the Navy they taught us to "never point a gun at someone unless you are going to shoot them, then shoot them quick before they shoot you".

I had to carry a gun for a whole day in the years that I was in the Navy.

 

[davey]

30 kg dog does the trick - i was told that here in Oz the burglars carry maps with D written on certain homes - means dog heh and they stir clear

 

[horseless carriage]

What you do is let them steal everything. Danny Crawford wasn't going to let Michael Carr get away. Carr had broken into the home of Danny Crawford but it didn't bode well for either of them. Carr was sent to prison and Crawford, who spent a night in the cells, is still under investigation for causing, actual bodily harm. See here.

 

[hollydolly]

An alarm system installed & monitored 24/7 by a reputable security company is worth the money to me. They will be able to tell you what alarm components (glass break, motion, door, etc.) should be located & installed in your house. If your alarm goes off, they will call you first. If you don't answer they will immediately call the police. You should also install a fire alarm at the same time which if it goes off, it's an immediate call to the fire department.

Pepper spray isn't as good as you may think. #1 - You have to be close enough to use it on someone & not have them take it from you. #2 - You have to be ACCURATE the FIRST TIME time & hit them in the face (eyes/nose/mouth) to shut them down. #3 - You need to be aware of any wind movement (coming towards or away from you) in your home to avoid blow back spray in your face shutting you down.

Most importantly you need to realize that PEPPER SPRAY DOESN'T WORK ON EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY MENTALS.

You need to have a plan on what you are going to do if someone breaks in. That plan needs to be thought out before a break in happens. You need to practice what you plan on doing ... not just once, but ongoing. You also need to re-evaluate your plan to see if will still work for you & update if needed.

here , Pepper spray is illegal...! We're told to use personal alarms instead. ....yep that'll show 'em....

 

[Pappy]

Three outside cameras that are very sensitive, carport area lit up all night, my light house out front lights up the front and good heavy locks on all entrances. If, by chance someone still gets in…they will leave feet first.

 

[Lilac]

There used to be a device that you hung on the inside doorknob. If someone touched the outside doorknob, the device would bark like a large vicious dog. It worked at home or in hotel rooms.

As a kid, my Dad bought one of those for when we where on vacation to hang on the doors. It would wake the dead when the alarm went off.

Haven't ever heard of ones that bark like dogs.

 

[timoc]

Put this notice in your front window.

Burglar, if you must enter my house, would you please take your shoes off, I don't want you walking muck onto my new carpets, oh, and do be careful, the house is booby-trapped.

 

[mrstime]

We live in a small town in a senior mobile home park. We live on the south side, the bad part of town is the west side. Those folks on the west side for the most part don't have cars and the buses don't run past about 7:00 PM. We feel quite safe, and have no guns. I see so many Americans think guns first. So sad.

 

[Lilac]

It's sad when hard working people are the ones being prosecuted for protecting their property &/or themselves. No one should have to be worried about having what they worked for being stolen from them or having their home violated. Neither should they live in fear of loved ones or themselves being raped, assaulted or murdered in their own homes by these criminals.

What is being shown is that criminals can do no wrong, they are the ones being protected by the law & they can get away with their crimes without fear of the punishment they deserve. Criminals will only do more & go farther in commission of their crimes.

So ... you're just supposed to allow someone to break into your home, take whatever they feel they are entitled to & hope they don't hurt you or your family. IMO, something is wrong with that thought process.

 

[C50]

Burglar alarm? What's the police response time in your area? I guarantee you it's not instantly. Not to mention some security monitoring companies will try to contact the homeowner first, which adds to the delay.

Outdoor lighting? Is a neighbor going to be awake at 2A.M. to see an intruder at your house? Or are you lighting the way for an intruder who doesn't know your homes layout?

Security cameras? You watching them all night? If you are alerted to an intruder see #1. Great for identifying intruders after the fact, if you have good quality cameras and they don't shield their face.

Dogs? Noisy for sure, good first warning, unless they bark constantly and you just yell at them to shut up. Will they physically protect you? Some will but most wont.

My point? You have to be willing to protect yourself within thirty seconds. That means a gun or mace or even wasp spray always close at hand. If a gun scares you there are non lethal gun options, guns that shoot gas cartridges, or rubber bullets, or bean bags.