Levels of preparing

[beanhunter]

I was told by a cop who lives in my neighborhood that he found a guy whom he arrested three times in cola leaning against my fence the other night drinking ice house. Cop said he has a list of breakins and said his partner chicken wing both of the folk gang(sp?) has attempted murder home invasions etc. cop told me they would be back. Why other than normal stuff can y'all think of to protect house home and family ? This has my wife kind of rattled bad

[DRDUCK]

MOVE ASAP!! Gonna get worse.

[Griffin]

murder that motha!

[mhogancu]

Ammo and a shovel would be my 1st guess. Keep a firearm close by but out of the kids reach. The way my house is laid out, I have a few upstairs in my bedroom, one in the attic craw space (a perfect bugout room), my office is downstairs, its loaded with firearms as that's where the safe is and I keep one in the kitchen tucked away in a cabinet. No matter where we are in the house when someone kicks in my door, a pistol is less than 5 seconds away.

[locked up]

^x2

[everlast]

dig a moat. they can't swim.

you have an alarm system?

Guard dogs

[Palmetto Bug]

Ammo and a shovel would be my 1st guess. Keep a firearm close by but out of the kids reach. The way my house is laid out, I have a few upstairs in my bedroom, one in the attic craw space (a perfect bugout room), my office is downstairs, its loaded with firearms as that's where the safe is and I keep one in the kitchen tucked away in a cabinet. No matter where we are in the house when someone kicks in my door, a pistol is less than 5 seconds away.

Hogan, I don't know how old your kids are but based on my own childhood, by the time they reach 5 or 6, they will know every nook and cranny of your house. If you hide guns, you need to teach your kids, even ones that young, how to handle a loaded gun. They will find them and they will want to show their friends. I think teaching young kids to assume a gun is loaded and how to check to see if a gun is loaded and really strict muzzle control may save a life. I remember fondling my dad's hidden guns every time me and my brothers were left alone. Best practice is putting them in a safe but they aren't any good to anyone locked up. Kids need to be taught how to deal with a gun.

To the original post, that is a really scary situation. Game cameras or a surveillance system might help you catch them casing your place and give you some heads up but burglars would likely make their move immediately if they saw your house vacant. More scary is the thought that they might even take the chance of hitting you while it's occupied. I'm not sure how I'd handle the situation. If I lived alone, it would be like still hunting but since I'm married, there is no way I could make my wife be prepared to combat a determined burglar or home invader.

What the hell is someone who the cops know is a bad seed doing hanging out near your yard?

[SOUTHERN WOODS]

Why didn't the cop arrest him for drinking in public or trespassing if he was leaning against your fence in your yard. He may have made bail the next day but at least he would know he was being watched in your neighborhood and might have made him look for greener pastures.

A better question is why is he still walking the street if he has all of these previous arrests?

[kquinn]

Sams has video camera package for less than a grand. Get wife pepper spray, firearm, or what ever she is comfortable with to protect herself.

[Downeast]

Defense in depth. Motion sensor lights and outside dusk-to-dawn lights. Some really nasty thorny bushes like pyracantha planted to funnel people either to or away from your front door. My yard is set up where most of the folks who show up the first time get funneled away from the house into a kill zone while looking for the front door. One of those inexpensive driveway sensors with a door bell inside the house are nice too. Fence in your yard and plant something nasty in strategic spots. Put a few boards with rusty nails under your windows. I doubt when they run a nail through their foot trying to peek in your window they will call the cops. Make just getting to your door or windows a challenge. A good yap dog will help too. The concept is that by the time they get to your home they will be already streesed out, and maybe even bleeding a little.

[Bad Habit]

the best defense is a good offense_ confront that mo fo and let him know that you know who he is- tell him if ANYONE messes with your home/family that you will be coming for him PERSONALLY and it won't be legal.

this has worked for me, but you better be able to back it up.

[Bad Habit]

or SSS

[SOUTHERN WOODS]

Or...

Next time you see the mother fucker in your yard you could walk outside and tell him that if he tries breaking into your home, harming your family or property that you will hunt him down and kill him. Make sure you let him know that he is being watched.

[cusportsman]

Or...

Next time you see the mother fucker in your yard you could walk outside and tell him that if he tries breaking into your home, harming your family or property that you will hunt him down and kill him. Make sure you let him know that he is being watched.

Yep

[ecu1984]

shovel, lime, shut mouth

[cusportsman]

JAB could trap some hogs and not feed them for a while......

[M.R.Ducks]

Where are you located? I have friends all over the state and can tell them to keep their eyes open as well.

[KCM]

Hogs will make things disappear fasting than a herd of goats.

[Coastal12]

Some of the camera systems (less than $1000) can be set to send an alert to your cell phone if it detects something. We have one set up that you can view on your phone live at any time. Just a thought... This along with a couple ideas listed above and you should be pretty covered.

[Variable]

the best defense is a good offense_ confront that mo fo and let him know that you know who he is- tell him if ANYONE messes with your home/family that you will be coming for him PERSONALLY and it won't be legal.

this has worked for me, but you better be able to back it up.

Bad Habit, what was your situation if you don't mind my asking? Did the person back off with just words or did it escalate? I'm dealing with a situation that doesn't sound quite as serious but I'm curious about how others have dealt with this stuff.