Home Invasion Next Door to me (rethink your home defense strategy)

[Erik88]

I apologize for the long post but I thought everyone would appreciate the details. 

 

Some of you may recall my post a few months back where we thought someone tried to break in. Things have progressed since then. Back in December I caught 3 little thugs trying to break into my neighbors house(right next door). My dog did a great job of alerting me and I just happened to be working from home that day. Cops caught all 3. 

 

2 doors down from me lives a middle aged woman with a daughter in her 20's and a son with autism. On Thursday at 11:15am the daughter was home alone and asleep in her room when the doorbell rang. By the time she got to the door and looked through the peephole she saw a black male walking back to a car parked in the street. She watched them closely but decided they were leaving and went to lay back down. As soon as she hit the bed another knock followed. She went back to the door and looked through the peep to see a massive black male. At this point she backed away and went back to the hallway when the door was kicked in. One kick was all it took. At that point she screamed "WHAT THE F*** ". Amazingly the guy immediately ran out the door and the car fled. They have not been caught yet. She didn't get a plate number but did get excellent descriptions of both men and the car. 

 

Since they live alone their strategy is that they never open the door for anyone. Also, she didn't want to say anything to them because she didn't want them to realize it was a woman home alone. My fiance and I have the same strategy. If someone knocks while I'm gone she goes to the door armed and looks through the peep hole but doesn't say anything. I think this will change in the future. Also, instead of standing in front of the door where you could be shot or hit in the face(with the door) I'm going to have her look through a window.

 

Here is my advice-most of this you have heard before.

 

- Reinforce your door. The door was fine but the frame was completely destroyed. 

-If someone knocks, let people know you are home without opening the door.  

-Ask neighbors who are home during the day to keep their eyes peeled( if you live in a neighborhood). 

-have a pistol on you or near you. If your gun is at the other end of the house it won't due you a damn bit of good.

-Get a security system and a guard dog. I have both and I wonder if it's why they picked my neighbors house. Maybe they saw the security sign in my yard.

-The sheriff recommended leaving a car in the driveway during the day. My neighbor had hers in the garage so they obviously thought no one was home.

 

Since this happened I've talked to many of my neighbors. I was happy to hear some are already armed and the ones who are not are planning on buying their first firearm(including the victims). 

 

Also, take a look at the crime in my neighborhood in the past 6 months.

 

  Total Assault 2 Burglary 5 Theft 7 Stolen Vehicle 1 Property Crime 5   20 Edited March 15, 2015 by Erik88

[McGarrett]

You may want to move back to TN.

[Erik88]

You may want to move back to TN.

 

I've been trying for 6 months. I almost landed a job in Nashville. Working on one in KY right now.

 

That being said, crime is everywhere but I agree it's especially bad here. 

[gregintenn]

Sounds like a good place to be from.......waaaaaaaaaay the heck away from.

 

 

We were on vacation at Ft. Walton Beach last fall. The first evening we were there, I stood out in the parking lot and watched a drug raid next door. I jokingly told my wife she picked a great place to stay. The rest of the trip was nice and uneventful, but at that time, I didn't know exactly what we were in for.

[Lowpower]

If you have an anti-gun neighbor just put a sign in your yard sending the thugs to him.  :D

 

 

 

 

j/k

[Howler]

We've had a number of problems in my neighborhood in the last couple of years. Houses and garages have been broken into and property taken. The neighbors put together a watch program where all of us were able to talk to the cops in our area. One of the first things the officer said was "always let people know you are home." He said that when they believe nobody is home the thief simply kicks in the door, but when they know you are home the chances of the door being kicked in goes way down. We (and the police) kind of thought our thief was a person that lives just down the road. Sure enough when he was put in jail a couple months ago things calmed down. Edited March 16, 2015 by Howler

[hipower]

We have an unofficial neighborhood watch program on our street. We all know each other, and the vehicles we drive.

 

At least four of us on the street are home all day long, and we do rotate the position of cars so it doesn't look as if it's just parked and no one there.

 

We all have our phone number in phones, and tend to watch traffic on the street. Since it is a dead end street, we watch them very carefully. I f a car or truck makes multiple passes thru, we alert the others.

 

If it looks wrong, we call the local  station and ask for a drive thru. And we try to note type and license numbers as well.

 

We have had a couple of vehicles stopped and investigated this way. Actually caught one set of street thugs that had just hit a house nearby.

 

And I have no weapons near any door or window. I have none in any cabinet nor in sight anywhere.

 

Sure. You believe that...don't you.

Edited March 15, 2015 by hipower

[TGO David]

 

 

Also, take a look at the crime in my neighborhood in the past 6 months.

 

  Total Assault 2 Burglary 5 Theft 7 Stolen Vehicle 1 Property Crime 5   20

 

 

If at all possible, for your own safety, you really need to look at this the way we always advocate you handle any other shifty circumstances.  Namely, don't be there.

 

We always preach situational awareness and try to pound into people that you should trust your survival instincts and avoid places or places that seem risky or dangerous.  God gave you an instinct for a reason.  :)

 

Try to get out of that place if you can.

[Erik88]

If at all possible, for your own safety, you really need to look at this the way we always advocate you handle any other shifty circumstances.  Namely, don't be there.

 

We always preach situational awareness and try to pound into people that you should trust your survival instincts and avoid places or places that seem risky or dangerous.  God gave you an instinct for a reason.   :)

 

Try to get out of that place if you can.

 

I couldn't agree more. This is definitely not some place I want to stay. Honestly though, they are breaking into the houses behind us in a gated community. Those houses are $350-$600K. So it's not like I live in some ghetto shat hole. This is actually a fairly nice middle class neighborhood and my neighbors are all awesome. 

 

I look for jobs back home everyday. Hopefully this one in KY will pan out. 

[TGO David]

What career field / industry are you trying to find work in?  Maybe some of us here can help you look or have contacts we can leverage.

[Dolomite_supafly]

You need to move. Everything you have posted in the last six months would make me nervous as hell.

[LagerHead]

Erik, the security sign in your front yard is absolutely a deterrent. Why would you rob a house that you know has a security system when you can go next door and rob one that doesn't? In fact, my brother, who has been in and out of jail/prison more times than I care to try to count, stole a security system sign the first day he moved into his house. 

[Guest mechanically]

-have a pistol on you or near you. If your gun is at the other end of the house it won't due you a damn bit of good.

 

 

 

Home carry. Period. 

 

It amazes me how many folks I talk with who are convinced that the gun in the drawer next to their bedside will be helpful in a situation like you describe.

 

Realistically, I just don't think keeping something you hope will protect you in the opposite end of the house, when a single second may be the difference, is a good idea. I don't think I could make it across my house in less than 10 seconds. That's an awfully long time when someone has already kicked in a door....

[nightrunner]

There was just a shooting in Smyrna the next street over from me. I'm not in a position to buy a house right now and I just renewed the lease where I am now, but I will be moving ASAP.

[rugerla1]

There was just a shooting in Smyrna the next street over from me. I'm not in a position to buy a house right now and I just renewed the lease where I am now, but I will be moving ASAP.

Pretty close to me as well. Also in the past two days, I have came home via two different routes and noticed two houses with about 6 or 7 cop cars in front of them. Luckily we haven't seen too much of this kind of thing over here. There are a few guys beside and across from me who are gun owners and like minded. We watch each others houses and check on each other even if it's just a car out front that we don't recognize. As far as the other neighbors, couple of punks, and some that I have no idea about. I carry 100% of the time at home, just for these reasons. I actually was in the garage one day a couple years ago, which would be a long way from the bedroom which is where some leave their "in case of" weapon. Had a group of punks stop in front of the house and start screaming some nonsense until I came running around the corner. My daughter and nephew were playing in sight of me from the garage door and I was on "kick ass first, take names later" mode when I got to the curb. They disappeared like lightening. Just a few seconds later, two of my neighbors mentioned above were right beside me asking what happened. I didn't really know, but my adrenaline didn't slow down for an hour. Ended up nothing, but what if it hadn't? Edited March 16, 2015 by rugerla1

[Erik88]

What career field / industry are you trying to find work in? Maybe some of us here can help you look or have contacts we can leverage.

I work in supply chain. I'm a transportation analyst. Logistics coordinator prior to this. So anything logistics, operations, procurement etc.

[Erik88]

Erik, the security sign in your front yard is absolutely a deterrent. Why would you rob a house that you know has a security system when you can go next door and rob one that doesn't? In fact, my brother, who has been in and out of jail/prison more times than I care to try to count, stole a security system sign the first day he moved into his house.

To be fair, the victim had security stickers in the window. Maybe they didn't see them.

[TGO David]

There was just a shooting in Smyrna the next street over from me. I'm not in a position to buy a house right now and I just renewed the lease where I am now, but I will be moving ASAP.

 

PM me the particulars of the location, please.  I still have property in Smyrna and am curious.

[TGO David]

I work in supply chain. I'm a transportation analyst. Logistics coordinator prior to this. So anything logistics, operations, procurement etc.

 

Hmmm.  My company has a big supply-chain organization but I don't know a whole lot about it.  I'd be glad to ask some questions for you.

 

I also have a friend who used to work in the logistics (shipping) world here.  I'll ask him for some info.

[nightrunner]

PM me the particulars of the location, please. I still have property in Smyrna and am curious.

PM sent

[Patton]

There may be a thousand reasons why they picked your neighbor over yours or none at all. I have heard criminals say they look for houses without the address numbers visible so cops can't find it easily. One turd just about had a cop fooled into believing that he was at the wrong address. I have heard they don't like a house on a hill, a house with a dog, those with alarms, extra lights, screen doors hitting them in the back while trying to kick in the front door, and everything else imaginable.

[Erik88]

Hmmm. My company has a big supply-chain organization but I don't know a whole lot about it. I'd be glad to ask some questions for you.

I also have a friend who used to work in the logistics (shipping) world here. I'll ask him for some info.

Thanks David. Any help is appreciated.

[LagerHead]

To be fair, the victim had security stickers in the window. Maybe they didn't see them.

 

DOH!!!

[bersaguy]

I use to have vehicles drive into my drive way late at night and Kasey would bark. Sometimes they would remain a minute or two and sometimes they would leave right away. I had a buddy install motion lights that could light up a little league ball field and when they come on they will temporarily blind a person facing them. That ended any of the cars coming in drive area and spending any time at all. Now soon as those lights pop on they are gone. During the day with living where I do in a triplex with my living area in the rear a car cannot get back to my place without passing by the neighbors and the people living up front so in 99.9% of the time a car or truck coming in my drive has a few pairs of eyes on it. Also unless you know my cottage is back here it cannot be seen from the street.

[jaymc75]

I've been trying for 6 months. I almost landed a job in Nashville. Working on one in KY right now.

 

That being said, crime is everywhere but I agree it's especially bad here. 

I live in Antioch.. Your city sounds like a Utopia lol