Back door deterrence

[pedalman]

"Avoid the shoot if possible, no matter how boring your life is."

Absolutely.

Did not call police. I figured they might not show for hours and I had appointments. And the dude was not professional.

While your assessment may very well be accurate, I would recommend reporting the incident regardless. I believe you can file a report over the phone without the need to do a face to face with a patrol officer. Your report could later on be used by yourself, or others, as evidence of his trespassing / suspicious activities in future incidents.

I know that in New Braunfels, we are able to file reports on the PD website for a lot of things. However, it still would have been prudent to call it in.

If it isn't reported/documented, then it didn't happen.

[jamisjockey]

http://record-eagle.com/local/x10485128 ... -in-attack" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.kcra.com/r/21240028/detail.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index. ... _rape.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=13309838" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Daisy Cutter]

I've reported prowlers in the past, and the police came by and looked around and asked if property was broken into, and as there was none, they would go on their way. There is so much street trash wandering around my area (close to downtown) that reporting someone poking around an unfenced back yard may not elicit a response. The dude will say, oh I'm lookin' for my buddy Jimmie have you seen him. Is it fair? No. "Action Beats Reaction." Our whole relationship with the criminal element is lopsided, at least until they get put in a cage for a while.

There are no easy answers when a regular citizen is confronted by someone who may or may not present real harm. You get criticized for over-reacting, or for not doing enough.

Next time I will call the police and waste half the afternoon. And the perp will get a good look at me and maybe come back prepared. I once ID'ed a bicycle thief in the back of a squad car and I pulled my sweatshirt up over my nose first.

I'm now armoring the interior of my place. A co-worker told me that the invaders now know exactly how long they have if an alarm goes off, and they work fast. All files under lock, check books, camera, laptop. I guess I can put some kind of cable on the big TV.

[Katygunnut]

I've reported prowlers in the past, and the police came by and looked around and asked if property was broken into, and as there was none, they would go on their way. There is so much street trash wandering around my area (close to downtown) that reporting someone poking around an unfenced back yard may not elicit a response. The dude will say, oh I'm lookin' for my buddy Jimmie have you seen him. Is it fair? No. "Action Beats Reaction." Our whole relationship with the criminal element is lopsided, at least until they get put in a cage for a while.

There are no easy answers when a regular citizen is confronted by someone who may or may not present real harm. You get criticized for over-reacting, or for not doing enough.

Next time I will call the police and waste half the afternoon. And the perp will get a good look at me and maybe come back prepared. I once ID'ed a bicycle thief in the back of a squad car and I pulled my sweatshirt up over my nose first.

I'm now armoring the interior of my place. A co-worker told me that the invaders now know exactly how long they have if an alarm goes off, and they work fast. All files under lock, check books, camera, laptop. I guess I can put some kind of cable on the big TV.

Just get a big dog along with a couple small ones. The small ones are quicker to react to noises and they will alert the big one.

[jamisjockey]

No need to get snippy over it. You may think you'd be wasting your day contacting the police over it, but you have no idea what chain of events could have taken place because you didn't.
Someone usually has to be way out of their way to be in your backyard. I've noticed most of the backyards in the suburbs here in Houston are fenced. Even without a fence, its customary to knock at someone's front door.
You choose to up the ante by threatening armed response (TPC 9.04). Well within your right to do so, IMHO, INAL, YMMV.
I'm sorry, but IMHO it is irresponsible to not notify the police in such a scenerio.
Worst case, he shuffled down the street and commited a heinous crime. I could not live with myself if I allowed that to happen.

[Daisy Cutter]

I apologize if I came across as contrarian. The guy who presented was mumbling, was a graybeard, had a heavy coat on a warm day (sign he is homeless mental) and in my judgement was mostly a threat to himself. If he had been a cool rational operator I would have acted differently.

Besides, contact with the law has its own risks. I am CHL and you never know, you get a responding officer who has it out for CHLers and the next thing you know, there is a "threatened citizen with gun" report on your file that stays there forever. The lawyers I know charge $350/hr with no guarantees. And the officer takes the gun as evidence and you spend the next five years trying to get it back. No thanks.

In the 'burbs, with fences and so on, someone in a back yard is definitely worth reporting.

In the right context, yes call the law. But sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.

respectfully

Cutter

[Ameer]

Lights. Dogs. Bushes with thorns.

[chartreuse]

Lights. Dogs. Bushes with thorns.

I always wanted a serval...

[Ameer]

I always wanted a serval...

I think they're more effective against grackles than cat burglars.

[chartreuse]

I always wanted a serval...

I think they're more effective against grackles than cat burglars.

I dunno... I always imagined a burglar seeing the sign and going "'Beware of the cat' - ha ha, very funny, oh dear my head's come off."

[Ameer]

"More than 90% of the serval’s prey weighs less than 200 grammes" (7 ounces)
http://www.catsurvivaltrust.org/serval.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cougars on the other hand.....

[jamisjockey]

Sorry, but I still think your judgement call was flawed. Obviously we won't agree on this point. I just hope one of your neighbors didn't pay the price for your apathy.

[chartreuse]

Cougars on the other hand.....

I think I'll stick with Servals...

A 150lb mountain lion found it was no match for a Jack Russell terrier which trapped it up a tree on a farm in the US state of South Dakota.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildli ... -tree.html

[Daisy Cutter]

Who needs guns-gates-dogs when you have a guard cat?

[wford]

So are you in fear of your life because someone knocks on your door ? Or is the guy knocking on your door in fear of his life because you
are racking a shotgun right before his eyes ?

For me, if the threat is serious enough to show a gun, it is serious enough to shoot. If it is not serious enough to shoot, it is not serious enough to have a gun out. Yeah, one can posit scenarios where brandishing might be an option (e.g. many unarmed-vs-one), but the large majority of cases, like home invasions and muggings, the first indication I have a gun should be accompanied by a loud noise.

I would have to disagree. The threat of deadly force can be an effective deterrent when used to avoid the use of deadly force against yourself. My displaying a weapon does not automatically mean I am compelled to pull the trigger. It should mean that I am ready and willing to do so should the display of force not suffice.