Home Invasions: Be Prepared
Steve Kovacs
August 2, 2007
Recently, there was a high profile home invasion in Connecticut where a mother and two daughters were killed. The husband survived the vicious attack. It happened in a well- to-do, relatively crime free neighborhood, to a respected medical doctor and his family. This horrendous attack became an extremely high profile case and ended up being broadcast all over national television.
One national talk show had three experts discussing the case and home invasions in general. After about 20 minutes of conversation that really was quite superficial, I came away with a few steps people can do to help themselves. However, the general consensus seemed that there wasn’t too much we can do to stop home invasions. I was taken aback as this simply is not true. There are many positive actions we can take to protect ourselves.
I’ve listed some effective tips that work to curtail, limit or stop home invasions. You don’t have to use all of them to be effective; you can use one or you can utilize them all.
· Get strong wooden or metal security doors for your main entrances
· Install deeply set deadbolt locks into any outside entrance doors
· Place a piece of wood in the window track of sliding glass doors--this keeps them from being forced open
· Get motion detector lights for the outside of your home. These are inexpensive and unbelievably easy to install. Put them at all corners of your home. They light up when motion crosses its path. Predators don’t like light
· Install an alarm system, which has an internal siren (which most of them come with) and an outside siren to notify your neighbors also in case someone breaks in. Alarms are great, even though many talk against their effectiveness
· Consider having a firearm to protect you and your family in case of home attack. If you chose this option get trained in its storage, safety and use. In trained, responsible hands firearms are great protection tools.
· Create a safe-room in your home. You can choose any room such as an unused bedroom or your master bedroom. It is a simple idea. Pick a room and install a strong security door with a long, deep deadbolt lock along with reinforced door hinges (if you need help talk to a locksmith or a hardware store employee). Keep a cell phone in the room (in case your land-line phone is disabled) flashlight and any weapons you may choose to use. Have a family plan for everyone to run to the room in case of trouble. From there you can make a stand or have more time to call authorities.
There are actually more things you could do to help yourself, but the tips mentioned cover all the major areas, except the most important one—lock your doors! So many families, mostly in “good neighborhoods” do not lock their doors. Countless instances of home burglary, rape and death have occurred because doors were left unlocked and predators had an easy way in. This is a simple fact most people do not know. We live in a mobile society where a bad neighborhood is just a short ride away from a good neighborhood.
Like any thing in life, solutions to problems come about from taking action. If you’re concerned for your family’s safety regarding home invasions, follow some of the easy tips mentioned and you’ll certainly be better off.
