Harden Your Home

With Hurricane Milton bearing down last month on the west coast of Florida, it got me thinking about protecting our homes from any attempt that criminals might take to enter or damage our property. Burglar proofing, or in this case making your home less desirable to criminals, is what we are talking about. We are so blessed to live in a relatively safe area of our country and state. Our law enforcement is top-rate, and our pro-law and order population makes for a great combination. But we certainly are not free of criminal activity or more to the point, anyone and everyone can and will pass through our towns, cities, and neighborhoods. Many of us believe either consciously or subconsciously that when we are in our homes, our gated communities, and quiet neighborhoods,that it won’t happen here, it won’t happen to us. It was my favorite person to quote Col. David Grossman, US Army ret. who said denial and hope are not a strategy. So, let’s talk strategy - a plan on how to make your home and your neighborhood safer and more secure.  

In any conversation about making your home safer and more secure from illegal entry, one of the main things we discuss is any time you leave your home, make it look like it’s still occupied. Lights on and music playing are two ways you can start to create a deterrence. Alarms and cameras are a great thing. But I like to talk about putting up indicators, signs, and window stickers saying your home is alarmed;NRA, Second Amendment and pro-law enforcement stickers might make a criminal hesitate to break into your home. Can’t afford cameras?There are very realistic fake cameras and some are even solar powered with blinking red lights. You can find sets of six under $30 on Amazon. Alarm and camera stickers - same thing under $10. Criminals hate dogs, they are loud, they are territorial, and they can bite! Don’t have a dog, not a problem. Go on the internet and search for a barking dog alarm. For as little as $70 you can buy a motion-detected barking dog alarm with three separate motion detectors. Place them discreetly in windows and doors even outside, and when they get set off it sounds like the hounds of hades are being kenneled in your home! 

Regarding your neighborhood, build a team. In everything I teach, from personal security to CPR/AED, the first thing I talk about is building a team. Criminals hate an audience; speak with your neighbors and develop a plan where if strangers are in your neighborhood, you can notify each other. The simplest thing to do is just to know your neighbors. Go around and introduce yourself, talk about making your neighborhood safer. Get a list of phone numbers together for all your neighbors and discuss having an early warning system if something does not look right.Can’t call each other because the power is out?Discuss setting off your car alarms to notify each other. Blow compressed air horns, the same kind you buy for a boat horn. Then come outside, DO NOT confront people; just stand in groups and be visible, show that you are all watching your neighborhoods.  

The second thing I talk about for any suspicious incident and any first aid emergency is CALL 911 FIRST! One thing I clearly remember and often use as an example was a burglar routine in Syracuse, New York back in the 80s. During the daylight hours, and yes, most burglaries occur in the daytime, pimps would have their girls dress up in schoolgirl-looking outfits and go around knocking on doors. The idea was that a schoolgirl looking for a classmate at the wrong address would not raise suspicion. Someone answers the door, the girl apologizes for being at the wrong house; no one answers,and they would wave up the burglars. Worked great for a while until the word got out; after all who’s going to call the cops on a schoolgirl with the wrong address? If something occurs that is not part of your normal routine, listen to that feeling, the hair on the back of your neck going up and slow down, and THINK. Ramp up your awareness, and if you are at all concerned, call the police. Honestly, with 50 years of law enforcement experience, I am 100% sure cops want to catch bad guys! Make the call, no one is going to chastise you for doing so. Another thing about calling 911. Security experts will tell you just in case an encounter becomes a much more serious event, it is important to be the first person to call 911. The person who first calls 911 is very often considered the “victim,” and that sets the narrative for responding to law enforcement. 

Having weapons in your homeis not for everyone, and that’s fine. Most people have a false opinion on how they would deal with an intruder in their home or, even worse, an armed threat. Their thought process many times is based on what they have seen in movies or on TV. Most people will hesitate or even not respond by firing a weapon in a life-threatening situation. When you think about that, maybe it’sa good thing that most people in our society value human life. What is more important is that if you are going to own a firearm, take lessons, practice, and get training on how your weapon and other weapons work, as well as learn the laws of your state. Just remember, in almost every life-threatening situation, from a medical emergency to a violent encounter, your biggest weapon is your team; build one before things go bad if you can.