Home Invasion 101: Your home is your castle. Act like it.

The simple fact is that most home invasions can be defeated. Why, then, you might ask, are so many occurring all across the country?  The primary reason is because too many people are uninformed and unprepared. As with other aspects of the defensive lifestyle, what is needed is a few changes in procedures and the forming of some defensive habits.

Speaking of habits, one of the best is to ensure that all exterior doors are locked. That is, you lock up when you leave and you lock up when you enter. Yes, that’s right, lock the door behind you when you come home. Doors and locks can be defeated, but it takes time and noise to get that done. The noise alerts you and the time lets you prepare your defense.

And while we are on doors, you simply don’t open the door to people that you don’t know. There is no law that requires you to throw your door open to everyone who rings the doorbell. That door should stay shut and locked until you are satisfied that there is no threat. The stranger who claims to be badly in need of help or the use of a phone can just sit on the porch while you call the police department. Don’t be suckered into opening your door to strangers.

Another mistake that often proves fatal is that the family’s defensive firearm is somewhere in the bedroom when, in fact, you spend very few of your waking hours in the bedroom. It is a far better idea to have the firearm on your person while in the home, just as you do while out on the street.

Another option requires having a separate defensive firearm safely located in the various places about the home where you spend your waking hours, the kitchen, your living room, etc. Wherever you put them, they should be close enough that you can quickly get your hands on them because you won’t have a lot of time to react once the attack begins.

Finally, you actually sit down with your family members and discuss home invasions. How do they occur and how do you prevent them?  What security weaknesses are present in your particular home and how can you strengthen those areas?  What role will various family members play during an attack on the home?

The worst mistake to make is to take the attitude that home invasions just haven’t occurred in your neighborhood and so it not really necessary to get all tactical about the whole thing. That’s a recipe for disaster. Get realistic and develop some defensive habits that will make you, your family, and your home a harder target.