Personal and home security

Just curious what security measures folks here take to keep their loved ones and home safe. What do you do to keep them safe when about town?

We all know avoidance and awareness, but when you are at home and suddenly become aware of impending danger you might not be able to avoid it.

Our neighborhood has gone to hell in a hand bag. California has a law called section 8 which allows under privileged families to move out of the major cities and into the suburbs into nice family homes. The government pays their bills and whatever money is left over they get to spend. Needless to say many families have kids who are wannabe thugs. Crime in our once beautiful town has sky rocketed.

Already caught 2 kids scoping out my car on my driveway attempting to break into it. While I could have easily man handled them I instead chose to sneak up on them and offer them a hand. They ran like hell, one even fell over some bushes while running off.

We are thinking of getting a dog most likely a German Shepherd Dog but I wouldn't mind a Rottweiler. They would make great watch and guard dogs but I am not sure were I can get the proper personal protection training in my area.

Also I want to get my parents and even myself a Taser gun with dry stun feature. Taser's aren't classified as fire arms which is all good since I am afraid of guns.

I am also looking into those wireless cameras that you can connect to your pc and laptops. They have tons of features you can be anywhere in the world just go online and check out your property. They come with night vision and send snap shots to your e-mail account when they detect movements. They now store memory on your hard drives or they have flash mini drives on them as alternate storage.

We have a dog and a gun. I live in a pretty quiet neighborhood. Not to say that things can't or won't happen here, it just doesn't happen that often.

Casey

I have a dog and choose to live in a decent neighborhood, even though it is a big commute to work.

What kind of dogs do you guys have? Are they persona protection trained?

We live in an apartment building, really good locks on the outside access doors. Nobody has succeeded in breaking in during the 16 years we've been there, although the underground parking was broken into a few times several years ago (once by someone driving right through the gate). They couldn't get from the parking area into the building, though. There's also "block watch" in the area, which means that households where people are home most of the day look out for unusual activities (they call police if they see anything), and put a special sign in their windows so that any kids in trouble can knock at their doors and find help immediately. Our building is full of seniors, so neighbours watch out for them and check on them. So far, so good.

Nope, just naturally barky.

Having a dog is an excellent idea. Small dogs are generally nervous and bark at any noise they hear. This can act like a house alarm to alert you to something new going on. A big dog is intimidating and their bark will scare most prowlers away unless they are on drugs then all bets are off.

I also have some alarms attached to my doors and windows to alert us of pending danger as well.

Having the outside well lit is also a good deterrent. Why would they want to risk being seen at your place when the guy next door has all his lights off?

If those things fail and they still choose to enter my residence I have a firearm. A 12guage makes an excellent home defense weapon. It has one shot stopping power and multiple shots in case there is more than one goblin in my house.
I certainly don't want to shoot someone, but I have kids and won't have time to figure out someone's intentions if they are in there uninvited.

Tek,

Don't be afraid of guns bud, they are just inanimate objects and can not just go off by themselves. Get some qualified training and start with a .22 and work your way up from there. You will find it fun and rewarding and wonder why you missed out on it all these years.

If you guys are ever in my neck of the woods a range trip is on me.

I think pets are a good idea for families anyway. I grew up with a collie-labrador mix who was really great with all of us kids but very protective regarding strangers. She would play softball with us and also keep watch.

But many of the cats are also very territorial. My aunt had a pair of cats that alerted her to a prowler by hissing at him through the window, and they scared him away.

Now that I live in an urban apartment, I chose one that is in a more private location in the building, and definitely not on the first floor. I also keep all of my japanese weapons in the bedroom. But even though my neighborhood has gone through some good and bad times, no one has ever bothered me. Maybe they know not to!

Weapons out in the open can be used against you! Mine are hidden, but within reach.

Considering that a lot of house robberies take place during the day when no one is home, hardening the perimeter is another option. Replace the standard door screws in the door frame and hinges with extra-long ones, and replace the standard face plate on the door with a long one that goes almost the length of the door. This makes it very difficult to kick a door in, and the intruder will likely give up to avoid detection. Windows can be hardened any number of ways that go with your architecture.

Clarification- you make the same mistake a lot of the media make.
Burglary-entering a building with the intent of committing a crime inside-building may be occupied or not.
Robbery-taking the property of another from them by force or threat of force. Someone comes into your home-sticks a gun in your face and takes your stuff-a home invastion robbery.
Theft-taking someones property without their permission.
Hope it helps.
Duane

I have a Blue Lacy. They are a hunting breed that was bred for hunting wild hogs and javalinas. Here's a video of two of them baying a hog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NWSG6UUIKo&feature=related

Lacy's were even featured in the History Channel's "Life After People": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TMEUjRzV4Q&NR=1

He's not overly barky but will bark if there's a threat or the neighborhood squirrel invades "his" space.

Casey

Your local government should have leaflets on home security, but be careful as barbwire (in the UK) can work against you if the trespasser is injured.

I considered rigging at least one 'rape alarm' to a door, or even as a trip-wire in the house so that it would go off.

I think having a dog is probably one of the best but you need to go further than that for good protection (when you go for a walk, on holiday)

Some people have gravel around their property, movement-sensitive lights.

Don't give them anything to steal! have a cheap safebox hidden somewhere, screwed in to a wall for pp, cash, etc.

The things people will steal are jewellery, laptops, SatNavs (GPS) and other things are are light and small- which makes these easier to hide.

This sounds kind of crazy, and isn't necessairly home (is personal though) security, but what do you guys think about having one of those tiny microchips put into your children (liek they do with pets) so whatever happens, they can be found? I ask this because the following has been on my mind and bothering me a lot lately: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/11/earlyshow/main6763247.shtml

This story in particular hits home because it's near where I live and my brother is close to the same age and looks almost exactly like him. The authorities seem completely helpless. Makes me think a lot of these cases could be quickly solved if we had small tracking devices (yeah I know it sounds like mark of the beats stuff but I don't care, I'm not religious).

Thats the thing, I am religious, so i would rather not get any chips planted into my body....

I've been thinking the same thing lately stormdragon. I think the pros with those chips outweigh the cons. I don't really understand what peoples actual issue is with chips in this day and age is to be honest. Most people are constantly attached to cellphones, or computers, near deaf people have cochlear implants to hear better, we are closer every day to becoming cyborgs, and in many ways we already function like them anyway. Of course, it should always be someones choice to get an implant...

The thing to remember too is that it's not the government who would have access to the system for whatever they want, law enforcement would get it from the providing company in an emergency. And it would be state before federal. I trust LEO's and the government more than I trust random people who may be around my kids (future kids) at any particular time. I would get the chip removed after age 18 anyway. My kids WILL be able to protect themselves by that point. If every child had this then none could be4 effectively kidnapped for long.

I used to be a pretty zealous Christian, and as long as there is no marking on the forehead or wrists it shouldn't matter. That "mark of the beast" thing is suppsoed to be very visible and in those locations. So if you believe that stuff what I'm talking about shouldn't be an issue. This kind of thinking is making a lot of sense to me these days.

For myself and my wife though, till we have kids, I have a .357 revolver stashed away ready to go. We're moving from an apartment into a duplex and I plan to have motion activated lights in the front and rear entryways. My dog isn't a guard dog but she is loud enough when ANYONE so much as walks by the place that we will be alerted well ahead of time. I think people who live in particularly big houses should take a course in basic room clearing tactics as well. Or get a soldier or cop to teach them some of those skills.

Well summed up, Storm.