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Home Invasion: Preventative Security Layers to Protect the Home Tess Pennington 
In a previous article, Urban Defense Planning for the Home, it was briefly discussed that designing a home defense system to evade possible criminals is your only way to protect your home, your family and your belongings, as well as alert you to anyone trying to break in. Home invasions are growing more and more frequent these day. Recently in the news, a 15 year old shot a home invader trying to break into his home. Desperate individuals feel their cause is justified and important enough to break in, terrorize, attack and steal belongings from others homes. Thieves are beginning to use technologies such as Google Maps and iPhone applications to gain an upperhand in breaking into your home. Being aware of the possible bouts of crime in your area, the technologies that are being used against you and and designing a home defense system around this will help to better protect your home. Preventative measures can be put in place to keep these scums far away from your home. Minimize the threat of a home break in or home invasion by adding layers of security to prevent your home from being a possible hit.  Security layers are preventative measures put into place that will advertise to possible intruders to avoid your home altogether. Layer 1: The Outside Layer                                          Â
Layer 2: The Inside Layer
Layer 3: The Personal LayerThis is the most critical layer.Â
It’s not enough these days to tell those who are home alone to have the doors and windows locked at all times or to not open doors for strangers. Parents need to thoroughly discuss emergency and safety plans with those living in the home, as well as protocols on how to handle certain dangers. A person who is prepared for a possible run in with a burglar or home invader is well equipped with knowledge on the home’s security features, knowledge on how to get additional family members to safety, get help, and as a last resort know how to use a weapon. Teaching members of the family what a home invasion is and the dangers associated with it will help them understand that invaders will not be kind, that they are intending to hurt persons who are inside, and will stop at nothing to get what they want. When an emergency arises, adrenaline is kicks in, and triggers the fight-or-flight response, causing a rush of emotion, anxiety and for some, panic. Practising emergency plans can help a family know exactly what to do and how to stay calm doing it. Dangers such as home invasions and burglaries are occurring more frequently, thus causing those who are home alone to be more at risk. Having layers of security features in and outside of the home can keep those inside the home safer. Author: Tess Pennington Related Categories: Health and Safety, Home Security
21 Responses to “Home Invasion: Preventative Security Layers to Protect the Home”Leave a Reply |
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Following a rash of burgalries in Denver I bought an inexpensive alarm system which frankly didn’t work very well. The cheapest element in that system was the external HORN, which was easily activated by way of the 6v battery. Every other day after work, I fired it off for a couple of seconds, as if to suggest I had forgotten to turn the system off. Every other home around us had ‘suspicious visitors’ except ours. –A Cheap investment, relative to those returns!
As a professional landscaper, I am a BIG fan of putting thorny shrubs directly under windows as a deterrent to home invasion. Check into the barberry shrubs, available in a number of beautiful colors and all covered up with small, but oh so evil thorns. Be sure to wear heavy gloves when installing them! For areas receiving plenty of sun and enough air to prevent fungal problems, roses can’t be beat, and some are almost solid thorns. Hollies, particularly Chinese holly, can be most painful to try to slip through, as can Pyrecantha, and these are all evergreens so they stay attractive year round.
All of these suggestions are very good, but what if you don’t have electricity??? And the phones don’t work??
Mary,
It is a very precarious position to be in during an emergency when there is no elecricity or phone lines. Typically, it is with those types of emergencies where we truly realize how dependent we are on “the system.”
There are a few options that you can do. You can bulk up on extra locks, security bars for doors and buy battery powered alarm sensors for windows and doors. These are inexpensive and the alarm is very loud. I had them placed on windows where my children were sleeping as an extra precaution. The only draw back for this is you have to make sure the batteries do not run out of power.
As far as communication goes, getting a walkie talkie system and communicating with neighbors could be a way to go.  Â
Of course, many have decided that owning firearms to ward off intruders is the easiest route to take. This is not a choice for everyone, but it sure beats waiting on the police to show up in a timely fashion.
I went the extra mile and bought door jam armor from http://www.armorconcepts.com . It was around $100 per door but not only does it bring HUGE piece of mind, it also goes a long way in preventing an intruder. Watch the videos so see the tests done.
Naysayers will always retort that burglers will just go through the window if they can’t get in through the door. From the interviews I’ve had with local law enforcement, burglers are much more likely to move to another target if the door is secure than risk being heard breaking a window.
I also bought loud glass-break alarms for the windows from my local hardware store. They were only about $15 each. They are very loud and don’t go off when I slam the door adjacent to the window. They only go off if I tap on the glass it is attached to.
This was a very informative article. I would just add that, if possible, family members should learn some martial arts. Women, especially, would be more prepared to defend themselves in other circumstances as well as a home break-in with martial arts training. I would recommend as the most effective martial arts, Shaolin Kempo, (see http://www.ussd.com – p.s. I don’t make anything from this reference; I practice Shaolin Kempo myself and know of its power). Most attackers are by nature cowards, and a powerful counter-response will usually send them running (if they are still able). This is only as a last resort. Hopefully, the suggestions of this article will prevent the need for a physical confrontation.
@ Frank,
I absolutely agree with you. Possible intruders are looking for an easy target. They have a tendency to bipass difficult situations because difficulty equals more time at the crime scene.
Thanks for the martial arts link. Learning some way of defending yourself against an attacker is crucial. This is your last resort of protecting yourself and you knowing how to fight someone off could save your life. My family studies the traditional Okinawan Karate which focuses on the katas. My husband and my kids study and practice daily. In my opinion, self defense is a depreciating skill that needs to be practiced. We hope to never have to use it, but if we do need it, we’ll be thankful to have spent the time learning it.
Tess,
My wife and I were assaulted in 2007 and she was almost killed. Because of that I began training (at the age of 66) in Shaolin Kempo. I work out with kids in their 20s or 30s and hope to have a black belt by the time I hit 73.
It takes a young person working out several times a week about 5 or 6 years to achieve a black belt in Shaolin Kempo. We focus on katas, pinyons, defense maneuvers, kempos, plus defense against opponents with clubs, knives, or guns. There’s much more. I would say that Shaolin Kempo is perhaps the best of the defensive martial arts. The monks of the Shaolin Temple in China have placed a plaque outside their temple honoring USSD. I hope this helps clarify the art as one of the best defense martial arts available.
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@ Frank,
I’m so sorry to hear about you and your wife’s ordeal. It sounds to me like you are trying make the most out of that horrific situation by learning some valuable ways to prevent that from happening again. Defending yourself is the last resort you have at protecting yourself and we all could stand to learn some basic self defense moves. The more I see my husband and children doing it, the more logical it seems to learn. Thanks for letting us know about Shaolin Kempo, I will definately check it out.
Thanks for the comment,
Tess
This is an excellent article containing several suggestions anyone who is serious can do. Â Thank you so much. 3M makes a window security film that jewelry stores and banks use. 3M invented that product. People overestimate the certainty of pain stopping a violent attack. Â People have different pain tolerances. Â When your life is at stake what stops violence is injury. Â If one is incapable of injuring one’s attacker knowing how to use a 12-gauge will give you your tomorrows. A smart attacker hearing it cocked will run. A dumb attacker you can hold for the police. Â You need to decide in advance if you are capable of using it. Â If “please don’t hurt me” is your idea of a defense you are defenseless.
With this communication device trusted neighbors can be dispatched to each others emergencies with a quicker response time than you will get from a 911 service.
http://www.alertid.com/
Buy a gun and know how to use it and don’t put it in a gun safe. Show everyone in the household how to use it. A gun makes unequals, equal.
“If a gun is in the home, have it locked up or put away so that smaller children do not try to use it.”
The gun needs to be on your belt, not stuck in a safe (even an easy access one). These things go really, really fast and our reactions must be equally fast. If the gun is located across the house, most people are not likely to reach it in time. If the criminals are stealthy, then it’s even worse; the fight is on right there.
There is no reason for them to enter the property while someone is present. They can easily wait until the occupants leave. Therefore, the violence started as soon as the criminals decided to break into your home armed. There is only the amount of delay and they amp themselves up for the event. It’s very easy for them to go from “thief mode” to murder mode on the power trip.
Carry a gun at home and harden the building.
@mary
remember the blackout of 2003, no electricity and no phones… Â the reality is, you need a gun and you absolutely need to know how to use it, you and every member of your family….Â
this is a great article and very practical, but remember if you are in a situation where somebody is coming into your home, if you can slow them down enough with physical security layers, long enough to grab the 12 gauge, you might end up making it…
http://abcnews.go.com/US/okla-woman-shoots-kills-intruder911-operators-shoot/story?id=15285605Â Â
I agree, fortification of the home, pyracanthas near the windows and alarms are a big part of the prevention plan.
Remember, phone lines can often be cut (as in a Stockton home invasion that resulted in the murder of two children).Â
IMO, the gun should be carried on the individual while in the home. Watch the YouTube of a homeowner with a CCW who left his gun in another room when a home invasion occurred. The thugs had guns drawn, pistol whipped him and executed him and his two female companions in front of his own video surveillance equipment. The video was used to convict the two gangbangers, but that is little consolation to the victims and their families.Â
Police are historians, detectives, AFTER the fact. They have no obligation to respond in a timely manner to protect your family.
I have been involved with the Filipino Martial Arts, which starts with weapons and applies the principles to empty hands. Using a towel, article of clothing, knife, stick, garden tool, or even a small piece of furniture is better than bare hands when dealing with multiple invaders. A trained firearm user is often the best option.
It is interesting to see people that are almost pavlovian in response to the doorbell and the telephone ring. I see people just jump and answer without even thinking. I believe this is a throwback to the 50′s and 60′s where everybody was trusting, and there were safe neighborhoods, and no pesky phone solicitors. We never answer the phone or the door. This is the new norm. It is the safe way to do things, plus with cellphones, text, email, voicemail – there is no reason whatsoever to not know when someone is coming over. We have an 8 foot fence surrounding all of our house except one front window that has bars as well as tinting so no one can see in. If someone rings our doorbell we simply go to the window to see, and if no idea who they are we don’t answer. Safe and sound.
Good advice for home dwellers but part one cannot beaplied to apartment dwellers because of the restrictions imposted by the landlord.
You censored my comment. Â Can’t possibly be a good idea if you didn’t think of it. Â No matter that thousands of banks and jewelry stores use that security film. But our hero Tessie doesn’t like someone bringing it up. You really can’t stand anyone who has a point of view different from yours. Â You are one totalitarian life support system for a ****. Â Some people such as yourself who’ve lead sheltered lives can’t handle life’s hard truths. Go ahead and depend on thorn bushes and firearms (which I guarantee you don’t know how to use) locked in a safe.
You can ignore reality. Â You can’t ignore the consequences of ignoring reality. Â The fact is you need to wake the **** up to reality or you won’t make it. Â
* Portions of this comment was edited for explicit language.
@Issington,
Thank you kindly for your first comment. It was a great contribution to the conversation and I believe that many readers will benefit from it.
As for the second comment - seriously? I don’t believe the name calling was necessary, but if it makes you feel better to throw insults out at people, feel free buddy!
Tess
The real problem is they way American homes are built. I recently spent several years working overseas where the house are built largely of cement, the doors are reinforced steel with bolts in 3 edges, like bank vaults. Windows usually have serious bars at least on first floor. In short, very, very difficult to break into. In comparison, American houses are cheap pieces of junk. A child can kick in most American doors. The windows might as well be cardboard. It’s a joke. Build your houses like a fortress!