Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Home Invasions On the Rise?

Home invasion rates are difficult to track because there is not a separate category for it in FBI data - it just gets lumped in with violent crime under the subcategories of robbery, assault, rape, or murder. However I've been hearing more & more reports that believe home invasions are on the rise. I did a quick google search for home invasion news stories over the past month & it returned over 10,000 results. Below are just a few of the hits from the first page of results, most of which took place in the past 24 hrs:
We of course should not leave out the home invader who was shot & subsequently captured thanks to a vigilant homeowner in Gilbert AZ. This home invasion trend gives all the more reason to take steps to harden your home against invasion and of course to be prepared with a family plan on what to do in case the worst were to occur in your own home. Tom Gresham recently wrote an article on this topic:
. . . Here's what I think. Crime will be getting worse. The current economic situation is causing reductions in police patrols and cutbacks on law enforcement agencies. Note that I don't say that people who have been laid off will start committing crimes. I don't think that's what happens. If you are prone to crime, that's what you do, irrespective of the economy. When there are fewer police around, though, criminals are emboldened, and they come out more - in the daylight as well as at night . . .
The Crime Doctor has an interesting article as well:
. . . Home invaders know that they won't have to overcome alarm systems when the home is occupied or be worried about video cameras and silent alarms. Unlike robbing a retail store, home invaders expect privacy once inside your home and won’t have to deal with the police suddenly driving up or customers walking in. Once the offenders take control of a residence they can force the occupants to open safes, locate hidden valuables, supply keys to the family car, and PIN numbers to their ATM cards. Home invaders will try to increase their escape time by disabling the phones and sometimes will leave their victims bound or incapacitated. It is not unheard of for robbers to load up the victim’s car with valuables and drive away without anyone in the neighborhood taking notice . . .
If you've been putting off carrying a gun as well as obtaining self defense training, you might want to move those items to the top of your New Years Resolution to-do list. I keep our exterior doors locked 24/7, I holster my gun when I get dressed in the morning, and I don't take it off until I've turned on our perimeter alarm & gone to bed for the night. Even then I keep it loaded & ready in my quick open gun safe (digital) & I make sure I have a clear & fast path to it from my bed. I also keep a flashlight in my nightstand so I would not have to fumble in the dark.

Be sure to teach everyone in your household to never open the door for anyone they don't know, not even if the people at the door appear to be Police Officers (call your local PD first to confirm they are who they say they are, as Police impersonation crime does occur). Just some free advice from your friend in Arizona.

Update 1: Correction, it turned out that Bonneville CO stands for Bonneville County which is actually in Idaho, not Colorado. Thanks for the correction farmdad.
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousWednesday, December 17, 2008 at 7:38:00 AM MST

    I can give anecdotal evidence of the increase in Orlando, Fl. An Orange County Sheriff deputy friend of mine related that the invasions and burglaries have moved from the seedier side of town and greatly increased in the supposedly 'secure' gated communities throughout the metro Orlando area. I have not real hard data to back up her statement but I trust her word.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Daniel ShortWednesday, December 17, 2008 at 9:02:00 AM MST

    Dustin, we had an incident in Southern Indiana where a woman was doing her Christmas shopping at at Target store. 4 thugs cased the parking lot for an expensive SUV and then waited for the owner to leave in it. They followed her home and when she pulled into her driveway, the carjacked her. And to think, some states say you shouldn't carry a gun while driving.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bob G.Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at 10:05:00 AM MST

    Crime WILL be getting worse...there's no doubt about that, but you have to also consider WHY it's (currently) that way:
    1- A judicial system that punishes more victims than perps.
    2- Lax laws pertaining to violent behavior.
    3- Liberal pundits who espouse alternatives to incarceration.

    Those only add fuel to the criminal fire.

    Broken Window Theory?

    Hell, many of these politicians don't even know when the ENTIRE BUILDING is BROKEN, let alone a "window" or two.

    This post makes the best case for protecting ONESELF and one's family.

    Don't give these thugs a place to play, it's that simple.

    Good stats and great post with comments.

    B.G.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AustinElliottTuesday, December 8, 2009 at 9:19:00 PM MST

    Time to listen up, y'all. Home invasions are set to skyrocket, and they will be uglier than ever. Not just theft, but kidnapping, rape and murder. Google "Phoenix Home Invasion Task Force" to see what I mean.

    You should be prepared for 4 masked men wearing Kevlar vests carrying automatic weapons who kick in your door at 3AM.

    Here is how I deal with it: First, it is essential to surprise them and shoot first. Get an exterior motion alarm, 360 degrees. GE sells a cheap do it yourself version. Install battery backup power, they will cut the power. Second, harden your doors with "Door Jamb Armor." This is cheap and easy to do. They will still kick it, but will take them more than they think. Then, keep a loaded assault rifle with 30 round magazine by your bed, with an extra magazine. You want laser sights. When the alarm goes off, get you spouse to call 911 on his or her cell - keep cell by bed! They will cut the land lines. You then, hopefully, will be aiming at them when they break the door. Open up on them, using the laser.

    Too bad we are not allowed to own fully automatic weapons... but you should be able to fire rapidly enough...

    A shotgun will not work against the Kevlar, but high powered rifle ammo may do the trick. But they will not be expecting heavy fire and will probably retreat, or at least you can hold them at bay until the cops get there.

    ReplyDelete
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