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ninemm wrote:Leaving a vehicle out is a deterrent to crime? Isn't it an invitation to a car break-in or target for kids with a pellet gun to shoot out windows?

It's a deterrent if the house looks like there is someone home. Out here in the sticks not many people have garages anyway. You have just as much chance of having your car broken into at the mall than sitting in front of your house. And I would rather my car broken into than my house.

ninemm wrote: And you're saying when they're not at home at night they should leave some lights on? What do they do when they ARE home? If the house is completely dark when they are home, wouldn't leaving a few lights on be a signal that they weren't home. Have you ever heard of "casing"? Have you ever heard of "crack"?

I'm saying at night when they go to sleep, every light is off and the place looks deserted. And this is not the city. It's not easy for someone to be sitting around casing a house without being noticed.

ninemm wrote:If you live well off the road and don't have close neighbors, you are probably much more vulnerable than you realize.

I dissagree. Being well off the road makes it almost impossible to see what is going on. If I'm a BG and I see house A, near the road, in plain view, with no cars, no outside dogs, no lights, and looking empty, I would consider it a good target. However if I can barely see house B, and there is a fence and gate, and I don't know how many people are home, or how many dogs are roaming around looking for a leg bone to chew on, I am going to pass and go to house A.

But should the BG be stupid enough to hop my fence (since he is not driving up undetected even if he manages to get the gate open) he will be in for a few surpises before he ever reaches the house.

Oldgringo wrote:Poppo,

You seem to have all of the answers to all of your own questions, so I'll bid you .

Hey, I'm not trying to convince anyone not to carry wherever/whenever they want. I'm only pointing out that there are a lot of things one can do to prevent or deter the BGs from getting inside in the first place. As I stated early on, I am lucky to live where I don't feel like I need to be carrying 24/7. But I do have other deterrents in place just in case. I'm quite confident I will know someone is trying to break in long before they even get close enough to try.

My in-laws OTOH who only live a few miles away, flirt with disaster. They live much closer to the road, no vehicles are ever left out, and not a single light is left on at night. They might as well put up a sign that says 'nobody is home - come on in'. Just a few well placed security lights would probably convince the BG to move on to the next house that looks more tempting.

ninemm wrote:As a homebuilder who has replaced more kicked in doors than he can count, most people probably don't realize how easy it is to kick open a door. No, they actually don't kick it down. But the door isn't the weak link. It's the jamb. Even it you use four #8 x 3-1/2" screws in the dead bolt strike plate with beefed up solid wood behind it, a swift, hard kick simply explodes the jamb and bends even the highest quality deadbolt.

Well, apparently the BGs know how to build, because I have seen more than one episode of real life cop shows where even the SWAT teams had a hard time busting the door down with their ram And a Google for 'security door jamb' will yield many steel reinforced ones that won't give in easily (some have demo videos). Nearly all buglers will move on to an easier target if they can't get what they want easily or quickly.

Oldgringo wrote:
I don't live in a real ritzy neighborhood but bars on the windows wouldn't be too cool and they certainly don't help property values - you think?

There are impact resistant windows out there. Originally made for hurricane areas, they are also used (successfully) to keep out the BGs. It doesn't have to look like a fortress to be one. Just do a Google for 'impact resistant windows'.

Oldgringo wrote:Whether the door should have been able to be kicked down or not is a moot point if a BG is in your house and/or your face. As for carry in the shower...you don't want to know.

Hey, I'm not saying people shouldn't carry in their home. Whatever floats your boat, but IMO it seems a bit paranoid. Making it extremely difficult for the BG to get inside in the the first place, would be my priority before resorting to carrying around the house. Of course some will say, if they want to get in, they will. But with a relatively small amount of effort to 'fortify' entry points, one would have plenty of time to retrieve a weapon if needed before they got in and 'in your face'.

Oldgringo wrote:Those folk in that church in Illinois probably felt the same way...last month.

Apples and oranges. Pubilc place vs private residence.

LittleGun wrote: Too bad that when they kicked down his door, he didn't have his gun."

My point above was that the door should not have been able to be kicked down in the first place. And do you folks carry while you are in the shower too?

evilmercer wrote:This is a lesson to me that even if I am just slobbing around the house I need to take the effort to always carry.

I guess I'm lucky not to live in an area where I would feel the need to carry around the house. I would probably move first if I could. But if I couldn't I would at least beef up the security of the residence. It's not that hard to make it difficult for an intruder to break in without giving a person time to call for help or a chance to grab a weapon. I guess I just can't imagine feeling the need to carry in my own home.