Introduction

Everybody should have a strategy in place in case of a house invasion, but it is even more important to also have a strategy in place to prevent such an attack on our houses.

Obviously, home invasion protection begins outside of your house. Your home should have layers of defence and such layers begin outside the home.

These layers are:

  • Detection: Detecting a threat and dealing with it before it affects you
  • Deterrence: Preventing a threat from entering your home
  • Response: Dealing with a threat once you are aware of it, whether inside or out.

Another approach to think about layers is to distinguish between surveillance, barriers, and action. Surveillance informs you of what is happening on in and around your house. This is not only about security cameras; there is also a human aspect to it. Who are your next-door neighbours?

Know the people in your neighbourhood

Understanding what is going on in your community is essential for detecting problems before it happens. Obtain local crime maps since it might assist you in identifying any patterns, such as an increase in break-ins. Join the social media group for your community. Take notice of what is going on around you. If the homes around you are installing security gates, it may be time for you to do the same.

Security cameras, burglar alarms, motion-sensitive flood lights, and other devices are also included in the initial line of security around your property. These systems are simple to set up and utilise. Because they are linked to the internet, they can provide you with a real-time view of what is happening outside your house, even if you are thousands of kilometres away.

Create barriers

“Hardening” your house against an invader is the second phase of home invasion protection and refers to locks, deadbolts, and other physical deterrents. However, a lock is only useful if it is utilised. You may believe that because you “live in a decent area,” you do not need to lock your doors, but roads connect your community to adjacent communities, and those other neighbourhoods may not be so great.

Examine the outside of your house. Are there windows that are obscured from view from the street due to overgrown shrubbery? Do your front and back doors have deadbolt locks? Is your door equipped with a peephole? Is the street lighting surrounding your house dimmer than it is in other parts of the street?

Our objective is not just to keep a thief out of our home, but also to make our home appear less of a target for a burglary. A house that appears to be more vulnerable to a break in, is more vulnerable to a break in.

What we say and do can also influence how much our homes appear to be a target. Announcing to the world that you own a large number of firearms, you are simultaneously broadcasting to the world that you own a large number of items that criminals really desire.

Acting against home invasion

While action is the final stage, it may occur when you identify a possible problem before it occurs, or when someone attempts to breach the walls you have erected around your property.

The nature of the action will differ. A suspicious-looking individual loitering outside your neighbour’s house necessitates a different response than someone attempting to break down your door. Prepare a home invasion strategy and be ready to put it into action if the need arises.

Article published with courtesy of FIREARMS.co.za

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