The Oil Drum

I have thought about this alot. But have come to the conclusion that if it starts getting that bad that break-ins are frequent and non-discriminant, then it is time to get out of Dodge.

Securing a country home is a different story, IMHO.

Country or city, keeping a low profile will help from being targetted.

Either way, if people want in, they will get in...no matter how much gear you put in their way.

I should frame this with, I don't believe big cities will be safe or supplied once TSHTF.

Hi Gail,

I'm not sure I can give you any advice on "securing the perimeter," but I will comment. Several years ago, I was working in South Alabama and driving through a number of rural communities and small towns.

What struck me was the number of modest homes that were outfitted with heavy iron bars on the windows and doors. When I asked a local resident what that was about, he told me that the "crack epidemic" was wreaking havoc on these communities.

I don't know what percentage of those security packages were sold by hucksters just preying on the fears of elderly folks -- no doubt that was the explanation for some of them -- but, I couldn't help but feel a real sadness as I drove past these fortified homes.

I would assume that these systems were fairly effective at keeping out casual intruders.

Criminals tend to gravitate to easier targets, especially if they appear juicy. It's the unlocked car vs the locked car, for instance. For the average criminal in our current state (Not post-peak) you want to dissuade criminals through a number of areas.

Your first priority is making your home appear as though you've taken steps to secure your home. Security (auto-on) lighting for at night, visible video cameras, and signage that shows that you have an alarm system in place help. No tresspassing signs will dissuade as well, and be sure to place "No soliciting" signs up on the property.

If a criminal is going to "scope" out your home beforehand, they may have someone else stop by to ask for money, try to sell you something, etc. Do not let them in the home, make it appear that you KNEW of their approach before they even rang the doorbell (even if you didn't), and let them know that they should leave IMMEDIATELY. If you appear threatening from their even stopping by to ask a question, their imagination can come up with ideas on how you would be if you caught them breaking in.

If you have multiple vehicles, swap out which vehicles you drive, so someone casing the place doesn't know if it's the same person leaving at XYZ time, making it uncertain if someone else is at the home. This is also another reason why you scare off solicitors, is that they may try to "sell" you something during the day to determine when you're actually home. If you park your vehicles in the garage, put cardboard, foil, or some other opaque material over the glass so a criminal cannot peek inside to see if someone is actually home or not.

Use deadbolts on your doors, and if there is glass that could be broken near the door, use double-deadbolts. (You have to use a key to get in or out.)

In regards to the alarm system, most alarm systems come with battery backups, and you can also get a cellphone connection as well, so that if the phone line is cut, the transmission still occurs. An alarm system will not prevent someone from making a quick dash inside and making off with a few items, but it does prevent them from trying to figure out where your safe is, etc. Police response times are slow for alarm systems. However, you can use the alarm system to alert you, as you likely can get yourself (or some friends/family that live nearby) to go take care of the problem until the police arrive.

All of these items are things that we use in our home. Certainly if someone wanted to break in, they COULD, but we tend to use items to deter criminals as opposed to physically stopping them. We infer to them a high level of danger both legally and physically if they were to break into our home. As a result, when we've had rashes of break-ins in the area, they've been at houses down the street, etc.

Of course, it's always good to be friends with your neighbors, and let your neighbors know who normally stops by at your house, so when they see a vehicle they do not recognize at your home when your car isn't there, they can investigate, or at least take note of the vehicle. If you're home one day that you normally work, and you notice someone going for their daily walk, go have a quick chat with them, make friends with them. They can be the neighborhood watch, as when you're on your daily walk, you've got nothing better to do than to take note of the houses you are passing. :)

I've ranted long enough. Haha.

Gail: I have been having similar thoughts.

For some basic information on how a professional thief works watch the tv series “it takes a thief” on the discovery channel. It is chocked full of information on how a particular house is targeted.

http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/ittakesathief/ittakesathief.html

Although you can never prevent a determined looter from getting in (heck, if your house it to hard to break into, they will just burn it down.) you can discourage them.

Plant thorn, rose or cactus under your windows.
Put up a surveillance camera (fake or real).
There are special entry resistant window glass and one way glass (so they can't see if it is worth breaking in.

Get a safety deposit box or a real professionally installed safe. The ones at home depot were almost laughably easy to break into. A coworker actually had his picked up and carried off.

The problem with building an armored urban lifeboat is that if it looks like a fortress then it must be worth breaking into.

I'm probably going to get a safety deposit box today. Then plant some cactus. A plus with the cactus is the the prickle pear cactus is edible and so is it's fruit.

When I was growing up in Pennsylvania people would have vacation cabins in the pocono mountain region. Problem was that since they were only occasionally occupied they keep getting looted. So my dads boss had a trap door and a closet sized basement installed under the cabin. Even after repeated break ins the basement cache of supplies was never found.

Your county police department should have printed guides for securing your home. And a healthy, trained neighborhood watch always helps.

My experience of living in a transitional neighborhood for eight years is that visibility, controlling the streets in front of our homes and attitude are most important.

Visibility: Only a few neighbors need to be visible at any time. Everyone on the street should know the first names of all their neighbors and all the children. Everyone should feel comfortable calling the police anytime they feel uncomfortable. And everyone should be able to contact everyone else at home and at work.

Street Control: It's a simple idea. Control the street in front of your home. Don't allow petty criminals to stand, park, or party there without questions and calls to the police. If you don't feel comfortable let the police ask and get answers to the hard questions. Once the bad guys notice they are being watched they leave for another neighborhood.

Attitude: Don't put up with crap and don't be afraid to get a few hard looks from those who want to control the street in front of your home. Stand up. Be Visible. But don't take any direct action. Let your local police do that work.

This seems to work OK for single family homes in a transitional neighborhood. With some adaptation it will probably work OK in other types of neighborhoods as well.

Last time (only time) I had a break-in the guy was hungry. I made him breakfast. Nice guy. Did some auto body work for me, did it beautifully.
Sorry, I'm forgetting about all the times the feds tossed my house. Yeah, I'm much more afraid of the "authorities" than of small-time freelancers. Most places the cops are the biggest best organized gang.