What is the best defense against a home invasion?

[Shandi]

I think this is an important issue to consider, and I'm wondering if our anti-gun community members have considered how they would defend themselves in a situation like this. It could be helpful to share this information.

I'm assuming most of us probably don't have a plan. We may feel that our community is fairly safe from this kind of thing.

Having an alarm system or a "watch" dog who will at least alert us can be helpful, but are we prepared to defend ourselves and our family from an armed attack? Melee weapons, like a baseball bat can be handy, .....if it's actually "handy". Most attacks of this nature happen during the night when we are sleeping, and vulnerable.

It's not something we want to think about, but as more people become desperate to feed themselves, we can become the target of a person who isn't really a criminal, but may be just trying to find a way to survive, by stealing valuables that can be sold.

I'm wondering if those who feel prepared would be willing to share some live saving techniques that
are part of their survival plan, if confronted with this kind of thing

Does anyone know of any informative classes on this topic, in our community? I think I've seen "emergency preparedness" classes, but this is beyond the scope of that informative information.

[Gary Abreim]

I highly recommend checking out Bay Area Impact Training. Their classes are for woman, teens and some mixed classes with men. They address home invasion and many different situations that threaten physical harm. They are really good and provide an incredible service. Located in the East Bay. You will come away with greater confidence. Defense also involves verbal response to threats.

https://www.impactbayarea.org/classes

I think this is an important issue to consider, and I'm wondering if our anti-gun community members have considered how they would defend themselves in a situation like this. It could be helpful to share this information.

I'm assuming most of us probably don't have a plan. We may feel that our community is fairly safe from this kind of thing.

Having an alarm system or a "watch" dog who will at least alert us can be helpful, but are we prepared to defend ourselves and our family from an armed attack? Melee weapons, like a baseball bat can be handy, .....if it's actually "handy". Most attacks of this nature happen during the night when we are sleeping, and vulnerable.

It's not something we want to think about, but as more people become desperate to feed themselves, we can become the target of a person who isn't really a criminal, but may be just trying to find a way to survive, by stealing valuables that can be sold.

I'm wondering if those who feel prepared would be willing to share some live saving techniques that
are part of their survival plan, if confronted with this kind of thing

Does anyone know of any informative classes on this topic, in our community? I think I've seen "emergency preparedness" classes, but this is beyond the scope of that informative information.

[Cheingrand]

A quick search of home invasions in Sonoma County shows that they are very uncommon. I couldn't find any that were done by desperately hungry non-criminals just trying to survive. The common thread is that real-criminals targeted homes that had lots of cash, guns and drugs. The best defense is probably to lock your doors and do not keep lots of cash, guns and drugs in your home.

I think this is an important issue to consider, and I'm wondering if our anti-gun community members have considered how they would defend themselves in a situation like this. It could be helpful to share this information.

I'm assuming most of us probably don't have a plan. We may feel that our community is fairly safe from this kind of thing.

Having an alarm system or a "watch" dog who will at least alert us can be helpful, but are we prepared to defend ourselves and our family from an armed attack? Melee weapons, like a baseball bat can be handy, .....if it's actually "handy". Most attacks of this nature happen during the night when we are sleeping, and vulnerable.

It's not something we want to think about, but as more people become desperate to feed themselves, we can become the target of a person who isn't really a criminal, but may be just trying to find a way to survive, by stealing valuables that can be sold.

I'm wondering if those who feel prepared would be willing to share some live saving techniques that
are part of their survival plan, if confronted with this kind of thing

Does anyone know of any informative classes on this topic, in our community? I think I've seen "emergency preparedness" classes, but this is beyond the scope of that informative information.

[Shandi]

I appreciate knowing about this. I'm wondering though if it would be appropriate for a 70 year old disabled woman? I have physical limitations, and can't even stand very long without painful swelling in my foot. I do go to a gym twice a week to keep some muscle tone, but I'd honestly feel very vulnerable without some kind of weapon. I don't have a gun, but it seems that it would even the playing field in such a scenario.

I highly recommend checking out Bay Area Impact Training. Their classes are for woman, teens and some mixed classes with men. They address home invasion and many different situations that threaten physical harm. They are really good and provide an incredible service. Located in the East Bay. You will come away with greater confidence. Defense also involves verbal response to threats.

https://www.impactbayarea.org/classes

[Shandi]

I feel a lot safer now, since I hardly have enough cash to make it through the month, don't have a gun, or many drugs. Although there have been thefts nearby at my neighbors. There was a break in and computers were taken.

It seems that the wealthy have more at stake, but then they usually have expensive alarm systems, so they're probably pretty safe.

A quick search of home invasions in Sonoma County shows that they are very uncommon. I couldn't find any that were done by desperately hungry non-criminals just trying to survive. The common thread is that real-criminals targeted homes that had lots of cash, guns and drugs. The best defense is probably to lock your doors and do not keep lots of cash, guns and drugs in your home.

[Keith of all trades]

I don't want to play down your concerns, but my mentality is that if someone wants to break into your home, they will.


Here is a personal story:

I was doing work for a wealthy customer of mine in their vacation home Bodega Bay. They were not there when I arrived to start work, but they had given me a key and the code for the fancy alarm system. Once I opened the front door, the alarm panel started chirping, but the code did not disarm the system. 30 seconds later, the alarm goes off, I curse and try to contact the owner. I spent a solid 10 minutes finding the right phone number and trying the house phone (which I later learned was disabled for outgoing calls by the alarm system), then getting the cell phone and contacting the owner. Only after that much time, did the alarm monitoring company call the house to ask for the "secret word" to prove that all was OK. By that time, I had turned the alarm off with a correct code that I got from the owner over my cell phone.

Long story short, if I had been a bad guy, I would have had at least 10 minutes before the alarm company called the cops and out in Bodega Bay, I presume it would have been at least another 10-20 minutes before the Sheriff showed up. Can you imagine the ransacking that could be done in 20 minutes? I think alarm systems are potentially good when your vacation home catches fire while you are in Paris, but not so good for robbery.

As to my feelings about guns: How many news stories do I hear about where the homeowner shoots a bad guy? (Not many...) How often do I hear about some kid getting killed by dad's gun or other accidental shooting tragedy? (Too often...)

To summarize my stance: On the off chance that someone targets your home, they would most likely do so when you are not there. On the really, really off chance you get robbed while you are present, it seems to me, that you have a much greater chance of getting hurt by trying to fight the intruder, as opposed to raising your hands and saying, "Take anything you want..."

I hope that you never have to face this scenario in real life!

Keith

[podfish]

Many Waccobytes seem to be interested in themes of community and personal human interaction. There've been a lot of discussions about being open to the world, to other people and to new experiences. It's not uncommon to have it pointed out that to achieve interpersonal connections you have to be a bit vulnerable and open to being hurt; by definition walling yourself in isolates you and separates you from the community.

Not to say that's where you're headed! But it's a metaphor to keep in mind in this thread. It's generally impossible to attempt removing risk from your life without there being unintended social costs, whether the risk is emotional or physical. The balance is never easy to find.

[stuartdole]

Camera systems seem pretty inexpensive these days, and can help ID whoever did it, should it actually happen. And if they're visible they can be a deterrent. Mostly I like the idea of just not having a lot of guns, drugs, and money around.

That said, I know someone who was killed in a home invasion robbery (in LA) - they eventually caught the guy, but it didn't help bring her back. The robber made off with credit cards, a little cash, and a few pieces of jewelry Also, my grandparents were robbed in a home invasion (East Bay) that was particularly brutal - never caught the two guys who did it.

Community - having neighbors nearby watching out for each other - so important! This is important for more than just the occasional invasion - if you fall, if you need a baking pan, help with anything. Or someone to talk to over a cup of coffee.

A friend installed a camera system, and it proved its value when her grandson had a party while she was away - she made him watch the whole thing, from each of the six cameras...

[peacetree]

Hmmm. Well, one thing is to get to know your neighbors,and to have a Neighborhood Watch form, and actually meet your neighbors. I have exchanged numbers with my neighbors and we promise to call each other if we see anything odd about. Being sure to question those you do not recognize , and offer " can I help you , are you lost?" etc is sometimes enough to discourage stuff that might happen once folks who are up to no good see that they have been noted.If you also actually do note a license plate if something hinky is suspected it can make a huge difference for property recovery for you or your neighbor.

Later, If you have valuable stuff like computers, , various entertainment stuff, stereos etc, tools etc stolen, if you have taken the time to actually put your calif drivers license number on it with engravers, ( CDL-0101010 etc) if things ARE stolen you can get them back if they are taken and if they are found, as they clearly are yours. Otherwise it is hard to prove ownership if stuff is found. Engravers are tiny , cheap and very very helpful in this way.

I live in a pretty rural, kinda isolated area, with lots of vacation homes, weekenders and the like. However, I know my neighbors ( I introduce myself to everyone who moves in, am friendly and offer them resource info re reliable repairfolk, places to get firewood, lists of handy numbers, and tips on power outages etc. I ALWAYS give them my card with my numbers and offer to call them when they are away if I see anything out of the norm and ASK THEM TO DO THE SAME FOR ME). They have always been grateful if I have called them and verified if someone is supposed to be at their home, and so have I, if they called me to check on the same.

By doing our neighborhood watch, which also involved us posting signs prominantly everywhere in our neighborhood, the incidence of funky events has dropped to almost nothing. Also, if you call the sheriff if you notice stuff happening or even suspect something is out of line, they become more responsive and can have more drivebys which also drop illegal activities.

The police/sheriffs sometimes will also come to your home for giving advise re security suggestions.If you form a neighborhood watch, the sheriffs will come to your organizing meeting and give presentations with recommendations. ( I live in an "unincorporated area", so we have sheriffs instead of local police as there are no local police)

Generally, deadbolt locks with really sturdy steel bar reinforcement in the jams without glass windows on the door , keeping your windows locked, and lights which go on as a motion activation are very effective. If you go away, the usual, cancel or have your mail held and cancel papers or have a neighbor pick them up, leave lights on a motion sensor for various times to go on and off ( and change the times around , don't have one light on which never goes out, that is pretty obvious). Also, I recommend radios on at a talk type station in a couple places in the apartment or house.( different stations at each radio) They can also be on timers.

The ONLY home invasions I know of in our area were related to huge illegal drug production, and the cause was drug seeking/money seeking ( obviously lots of money involved with this) by the people who broke in. If you are not involved in this activity I seriously doubt you have ANY cause to worry.The folks who are apt to do this are not random hits. They are pretty well informed of what is in the place they are breaking into.

Unfortunately, the only other violent crime in our are has always been domestic violence, and that is people attacking others they know well, an entirely different issue.

There is a group called "BAMM" Bay Area Model Muggiing. They have trained seniors and disabled as well as average folks and children how to protect themselves in a physical attack and get away. I highly recommend this to folks in order to feel more confident.They have helped folks who were even very seriously emotionally hurt by a prior attack become confident and able to protect themselves. They have done this training even with small children. It is VERY effective.

Unfortunately, all too often, weapons folks have in their home for their protection are all too easily taken by children, and sometimes even those you think to use them against, in a robbery.

Lastly most thieves do NOT want any notice of their activity, and really avoid homes with anyone in them. If you are not producing large amounts of illegal drugs ,( or large amounts of pot , even if it is legal for you,) I doubt you have anything to worry about.

Peace

[handy]

What is the best defense against a home invasion?

Of primary importance is accepting in advance the understanding that your right to self-defense is absolute. Coming to that realization too late is useless and too often lethal.

I like the idea of cameras. In terms of self-defense, taking a picture, even with a cell phone, of someone at your door, may prove deterrent.

Dogs, geese, guinea fowl or other animals that give advance warning are always good and often deterrent.

If you've decided in advance that you will defend yourself, your ability to do so can be amplified by anything you care to keep at hand that you are sure you can use effectively.

A hatchet or a machete might be superior to a baseball bat or golf club, depending on your strength or size. Kitchen knives (keep'em razor sharp). Oven cleaner or flying wasp spray to the face are as effective as pepper spray, and work at a range to keep you out of reach. Knitting needles, pencil, ballpoint pen. Etc. Etc.

Once the decision is taken, the methods are myriad.

Whatever it is, don't show it 'til you need it. Make surprise your friend.

[podfish]

Make surprise your friend.

and be careful that you're not just surprising your friend!
that'll teach 'm from dropping by unexpectedly.

[MAG]

Gary and Peacetree are right on about BAMM and IMPACT. I took some BAMM classes long, long ago. IMPACT is similar. Many of the women in my class had such horror stories. I did the basic course- I had planned on doing multiple attackers and attackers with weapons - I still should. The BAMM attacker is so padded that we learned to use full force rather than feinting because we are often inhibited about causing pain. Sometimes, you just have to do so. You learn timing also. Knowing you can defend yourself goes a long way to being more at ease.
Whatever you use for a weapon, learn to use it effectively and have it accessible.
Also was already said, a neighbor support system, good locks, dogs (most will at least alert you).

There is an ad in WACCO Events/classes/meetings: Women's Defense series - 4 classes. I don't know anything about the teacher or class.

I can recommend BAMM - had classes. IMPACT is same concept.

Does anyone know of any informative classes on this topic, in our community? I think I've seen "emergency preparedness" classes, but this is beyond the scope of that informative information.

[Twisted Minis]

I live in a good part of town, and have a business in a nice business park with security cameras. However, both my home and business have been burglarized to some degree. My business suffered the larger impact, and a lot of valuable things where stolen, and my door was damaged to the point of needing replacement. The alarm system, dead bolt on man door and roll up door (along with locking chain), and security cameras did nothing. At home, I have had my recycling stolen a few times, once when I was home. Nothing major, thankfully.

Now studies have shown that a large dog is the number one deterrent for a criminal. Not everyone wants a large dog though, or maybe they cannot have one where they live.

Bear spray might be a good idea, it has a long range and is quite potent. At the very least it may give you time to get outside and away from an intruder, and save your life.

I would not be a fan of a bat or knife, hatchet, etc, due to the need for close contact to defend yourself.

I have heard it said in the past that the only tool known to make a 120 lb woman equal to a 250 lb attacker, is a gun. I think that with some training, this could be a viable option. But I wouldn't suggest just going out and buying a gun, and putting it in your night stand. There are a few places in Sonoma County, and just a bit outside its limits, that you would be able to get training like this.

I would also be interested in reading about the emergency preparedness classes mentioned previously? I have not heard of anything like this.

[handy]

and be careful that you're not just surprising your friend!

Well, DUHHH.....!!!

[Shandi]

This is just part of a report from Tech News, about various methods people might consider to defend themselves in a home invasion. More information to add to the mix.

"Pepper spray is legal for personal protection in all American states, with some restrictions, and in the state of Western Australia, but is illegal in most other English-speaking countries.

Some people recommend wasp and hornet spray which also shoots a long tight stream, as a cheaper and more effective alternative to pepper spray.

But bear in mind that using insecticide as a weapon, even in self defense, breaches federal and many state regulations. Insecticide hasn't been tested for safety on human targets, and you may be liable for injury the "assailant" suffers."