Last night my husband told me about something that is possibly an Urban Legend, but is still disturbing no matter where you live. It seems that, according to the reports, a new gang has moved into our area. They are supposedly ‘bumping’ cars with theirs, then when the people in the car that was hit stop, they execute them, gangland style. Not only this, but their activities have stepped up to home invasions.

Even if this is not true, I felt that I should address home safety. A home invasion is terrifying. Your home is your private area, a place to be relaxed and with the ones you love. Even if you are single, your home is your sanctuary.

So what can you do to protect yourself and your family against a home invasion?

1. Install real or ‘dummy’ cameras at your home. Key areas to place them are the corners of your home, facing the entire yard and entrance areas. Home invaders are less likely to attack a home with cameras in view, real or fake. They have no idea if the cameras are real, especially if the cameras come with a battery operated ‘on’ light.

2. Alarms for your windows and doors. You can purchase alarms that make a very loud, high pitched noise that are activated by magnets. These can be put on nearly any surface which make them very handy. These are often advertised on television and are much lower in cost that traditional alarm systems which can be too costly for the average family. Another plus is that even if you rent, you can use these alarms and take them with you if you move.

3. Motion lights can be purchased and installed in the darker areas of your property. Motion lights can be low cost if found on sale at your local hardware store. You can also purchase night lights that are activated by motion or sound and place them in each room of your home. This can completely un-nerve a would be home invader who does not want to be seen!

4. Keep all entrances to your home locked. Deadbolts may not stop a home invader, but it can slow them down. Entrances that are rarely, if ever used by your family can even have two deadbolts, especially if you live in a high crime area.

5. Most of the time, any home invader will not try for a home with a dog. This does not mean that a dog will completely deter someone who is determined. It has been proven that a burglar who steals from homes for a living will befriend a dog while casing a home. Even the most well trained dog can be enticed by treats or stopped by a weapon. In the case of home invasion that is on the spur of the moment, a dog can be invaluable in stopping your home from being a target.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 27th, 2008 at 8:15 am and is filed under Personal Safety, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.