Securing A Home Is Proven To Reduce The Chances Of Break In And Detour Criminals
Civil unrest can create a wave of violent crime, putting adults and children in danger
In these days of high crime rates and looming social crisis, economic collapse and possibility of total collapse, as a homeowner you must have the ability to protect your family and your home. The following 10 low-cost home defense tactics can be installed or built into your home today.
Projects You Can Tackle On Your Own And Save Money On
If at all possible, try to do these projects on your own in order to save money. It should also be noted that hiring others may make it easier for neighbors to see what you have, or inadvertently expose your security measures to others that might use this information to hurt you later on.
If you must hire someone to do these jobs for you, make sure that you work only with a reputable company or people you trust.
1. Fencing And Lockable Gates
Without fences and lockable gates, you will not be able to control who or where people enter the property. Build a strong fence around your property with only one lockable strong gate at the entrance. The fence can be supported and strengthened by using a combination of natural and man-made materials such as galvanized steel or heavy wooden planking. That will prevent or slow down vehicles from entering a point other than the gate.
• The fence posts should be set in cement and the fence should be from 6′- 8′ tall.
• In order to have a good field of fire around the fence, remove all brush and cut down any trees to about 25′ outside away from the fence. When you cut trees down, leave tree stumps over a foot tall and all of the above ground roots. Do this around the gate down each side of the driveway. By doing this you channel all unwanted vehicles or individuals to an area where you control the situation.
• You can install “Do Not Trespass” and “Private Property” signs, however, they may not be of much use in a social collapse situation. During more stable times, however, they do establish that others are being warned to stay off your land.
2. Reinforce All Exterior Doors
Reinforcing your doors make kicking down or prying open your exterior doors much more difficult.
Doors are the most vulnerable access point to your home, and 85% of break-ins happen through doors. As such, reinforcing your doors is a super high priority – and it’s one of the best home security investments you can make. Home security systems are great, but dollar for dollar, it’s no contest. We all know that security systems are ridiculously expensive. Door reinforcement is a low-cost way to drastically improve your home security.
We highly recommend Door Armor, which in our opinion is the best door reinforcement product out there. It makes your doors virtually impenetrable, and protects them from both kick-ins and from being pried open with crowbars and so forth.
The makers of Door Armor, Armor Concepts, have products for all different types and sizes of door, so however your home is set up, there’s something there for you. We highly recommend you check out Door Armor and some of the other products offered by the company – if you don’t believe that their effective, watch some of the demonstration videos – or buy it, and if you don’t like it, they have a very generous return policy.
3. Simple And Cheap Alarm Systems That Can Save Your Life
Alarm systems don’t have to be expensive to protect you and your property. Sometimes the cheap, but very simple ways can work for you. Try to use ways that blend into the surroundings and don’t stand out.
• Doorbells when pushed. Activate a CCTV system that automatically calls your Smartphone. When you answer, you can see, hear, and respond to whoever rang the bell. If it is a thief, this is a test to see if you are home. If they hear your voice they will run away.
• Suspend aluminum cans with rocks in them on 15-20 lb. nylon line at different heights of the fence. When individuals try to climb over the fence, the cans move rocking the rocks, and the noise alerts the owner.
• Place little camel bells on a ribbon, which has a loop on one end, to hang on the interior door knob of an exterior door. Another place to use the bells is tacked to the inside of windows. When the door or window is opened or shaken. The bells will ring out and alert the homeowner.
High Decibel Alarms – Battery Powered
• Battery powered mini window and door alarms that are mounted to windows and doors by 2 sided tape or screws. Depending on the model, the alarm is activated when the window or door is opened; some models like the Doberman Security window alarms detect the slightest vibration, immediately sounding a piercing, high decibel alarm on any window a unit is placed on. (Other models by other manufacturers sound an alarm when the magnetic contact is broken.)
These alarms are portable, can be moved, and remounted when necessary, and can be used separately from a standard home alarm security system, Brinks, etc. (They also have models for your front door, back door, garage doors, shed, etc.) For your windows, they are both a deterrent and alarm device; they detour criminals prowling around windows because they are clearly visible, yet because they are mounted inside the home, they cannot be tampered with from the outside.
Keep electronic alarms invisible from the road
• Try to make electronic alarm systems as invisible as possible — from the road. Cameras in plain view or other “expensive” looking gear that can be viewed from outside your property can actually draw criminals on to your property and to your home because they think you have something worth protecting.
* Note that units like the Doberman Security for your windows are intended to detour criminals once they are actually looking into your home from directly outside a window; data is mixed however; some criminals may decide you have something you are protecting and that may prompt some to try to figure out another way to break inside; others may decide to pass on your home, due to the window alarms — knowing they are likely to go off if a window is broken or opened. The best placement may be out of sight from the road, but in view once a prowler is at a window.
4. Interior And Exterior Mirrors To Help You See Blind Spots
Blind spots can hide individuals who don’t want to reveal their presence while they are breaking in or leaving.
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• Install exterior 4-6 inch convex mirrors that can be installed on the corners of a porch and outside of windows.
• The mirrors need to be mounted higher than the average person and adjusted downward.
• Most people don’t have a habit of looking up and would walk right under the mirrors without seeing them.
For interior use of mirrors in the home
• For small rooms and L-shaped hallways, use a 90-degree quarter dome mirror.
• When viewing blind corners and T intersections, use an 180 degree half dome mirror.
• For areas that require 4-way visibility at intersections from all angles, use a 360-degree full dome mirror.
5. Keep Outdoor Areas Well Lit
Good outdoor lighting will discourage anyone from hiding or trying to break in during dawn, dusk, or night hours.
• Use inexpensive solar lights in shaded areas.
• Use motion detector lights that will come on when a person walks by, but not your pets or other animals.
• Put all other exterior house lights on a dusk to dawn timer. This gives the appearance that someone is home.
6. Pets As An Early Warning Alarm System
No matter if you live in the city or the country, animals will always reveal people who don’t belong on your property.
• A dog barking will tell you if someone is outside the house.
• If anyone breaks in, the intruder will have to deal with the dog’s bite and attack first, if you have a trained security dog. (Most intruders don’t want to take on one or more dogs guarding their master’s home because most people have no idea how to survive a dog attack)
• For those individuals that live in the country, geese, turkeys, chickens, roosters, and Guinea Hens make excellent roving alarms. These birds can even be taught to squawk, bite, and chase intruders away.
7. Panic Rooms
When used properly, panic rooms make it appear like no one is at home. Most of these rooms don’t cost a fortune to build or maintain. Putting your shelter underground adds extra layers of protection. This would make the panic room (also called a “safe room”) more like a bunker and harder to break into. Kitchen islands, closets with hidden doors, or floor trap doors all make good hiding places for entrances to the panic room.
8. Train Your Family To Handle, Shoot, And Maintain Firearms, Crossbows, Standard Bows, And Edged Weapons.
Shooting is an excellent skill to have, as is the development of situational awareness that comes with learning how to be a good and responsible gun owner. Understanding how to properly maintain your weapon, what the different parts of a gun are, and how to handle and store your firearm safely are also important aspects of responsible gun ownership. Even more important than that is being able to confidently shoot and hit a moving target in a high stress and dangerous situation. If you want to ensure you have the means to protect your family with a firearm, you might want to check out this program.
Regular shooting at the range doesn’t necessarily translate to being able to shoot accurately and safely in a high stress, high pressure, dangerous scenario. Particularly if there is an attacker who is about to put you and your family in grave danger. Learn some of the techniques used by SEALs, Delta force, and other spec-ops units in this unique combat shooting program so you can guarantee the safety of yourself and your family.
Aside from guns:
- Bows and crossbows are excellent medium to long range silent weapons (we have a list of the best survival bows here); in a post-collapse environment, for that same reason they are also possible weapons used by would be raiders, burglars, etc.
- Edged weapons like survival knives or other primitive weapons are excellent in-close weapons (for close quarters combat) or weapons of last resort, when a firearm isn’t an option, and your life is in danger. Even something as innocuous as a survival hatchet (not designed to be a weapon) or a survival multi-tool can be used as a self defense weapon in a pinch. In some cases, just holding something in your hand can act as a strong deterrent to a criminal and could help you survive an armed robbery or a home invasion.
- If you’re less comfortable with having firearms in your home, see our list of the best self defense weapons (outside of guns)
- You might also be interested in learning some spec-op and Navy SEAL combat techniques as a last resort… Just in case you end up in a unarmed self defense situation.
9. Set Up Fields Of Fire In Your Home And Exterior Portions Of The Property
Fields of fire maximize the effectiveness of weapons within a specific area. These zones are places where you want invaders to go because having fields of fire gives you an advantage and easier defense of your home.
Interior fields of fire
The number and size of fields of fire in your home will depend on:
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• The number of people in the household that can be located in active fields.
• The amount of space that can be used for sandbags and other protective covers.
• If there is furniture such as sofas or large chairs, which can also be used for home defense. Here’s how: Each can have a steel plate mounted on the bottom. When a piece of furniture is tipped over with the bottom facing outward, it can act as a cover to protect you.
• These same steel plates can also be mounted just below window frames (especially those where you, members of your family might take positions), and on the inside of doors; these are both probable places that raiders with guns can spray with bullets, if they think you’re on the other side.
Too Extreme? Depends On How Bad It Gets
To the average American, bullet proof defenses like steel plates and bullet proof vests may seem like an extreme step but they are standard in many dangerous places of the world currently, from cartels to embassies and even armored plates added to vehicles driven by diplomats, businessmen, contractors, and others; they are popular because they work well and are proven to reduce the chances of being shot by someone after your life. (The vest detailed at the link must have small plates added to it; it does not come with plates.)
Exterior fields of fire
Exterior fields of fire are also important and act as one of your first lines of defense. They should include:
• Camouflaged foxholes with multiple fields of fire.
• Well constructed out buildings with trenches dug inside around the exterior walls. Just above the ground, gun firing ports should be installed to permit the outer wall sections to swing inward and down out of the way. When not in use, the gun ports should be locked in the up position.
• Remove all yard junk like old, non-running vehicles and any objects that could be used as cover by unwanted individuals.
• Cut grass no lower than four inches high and make the yard look unkempt. Remove all trees and shrubs around any buildings that are in the exterior fields of fire.
10. A Well Camouflaged Fortified Tree House And Bunkers
• These observation posts will be manned around the clock during times of social unrest.
• The tree house should have a steel floor and steel walls (refer to the steel plates mentioned above) to protect the observer. All of the steel will be covered with wood to give the illusion that the tree house is nothing more but a place for children to play in.
• The camouflaged bunkers should be low to the ground and not well seen from a distance.
• These bunkers will be constructed of stone outer walls with steel plates just inside of the outer walls. Sandbags can be added behind the steel plates for added protection.
• Use small slits for observation and gun ports. These slits should blend in with the camouflaged bunker.
• There should be 3-4 of these bunkers to protect the main house and other close-in buildings.
• It would be to your advantage to have a couple of decoy bunkers made of wood and sandbags to confuse the attackers. These decoys would not have any bullet stopping power and could be located in front of one of the actual camouflaged bunkers.
Neighborhood Watch
Remember to look after your neighbors, and also start a community watch following any kind of collapse before any looters or thieves arrive. Invest in several dozen safety whistles that can be blown by a neighbor or even a child who spots trouble first, in an effort to alert the rest of the neighborhood to sudden danger.
Neighborhood Patrols
If things get really bad, assign patrols (minimum of two people per patrol so that one can effectively guard the other) to monitor the neighborhood perimeter and adjacent streets or open spaces for incoming threats.
Neighborhood Sentries
Sentries are posted guards used to monitor areas that crooks are most likely to enter your neighborhood from. Remember though that some crooks are clever and may even have military training; so don’t forget about other areas that crooks may enter from; consider having your patrols (mentioned above) double-back periodically to the neighborhood perimeter, effectively giving any sentries you have posted additional eyes on the ground and immediate reinforcement in a conflict.
Though God can look out for us from up above, for the same reason we wouldn’t leave a small child alone with a pit bull, that’s the same reason we shouldn’t down play the idea that crooks may make an attempt on our life or property in a post-collapse environment. In a dangerous world, basic safeguards are important to consider and be prepared for.
Keeping Your Home Safe From Looters And Thieves
In conclusion, keeping your home safe from looters and thieves during a time of social unrest does not have to cost a fortune. A comprehensive home defense system is as much about keeping your fortifications secret as it is the methods you actually use. Please feel free to comment below this article on low-cost home defense tactics that you have seen or feel would be of use to the average person.
Editor’s Note: If Things Get Bad …
We have provided this article for the purpose of helping to protect families that otherwise have no idea just what kind of evils could be headed their way should a collapse of rule of law or other SHTF scenarios take place … which has happened in many countries in the modern age and the U.S. and other nations could be next. Subscribe to the Secrets of Survival newsletter for more information and future articles like this one.
A collapse on this level is likely to result in massive social unrest, food shortages, and violent crime, including dangers to the elderly and children. Let’s help turn the tables on crooks before they strike. Security steps today help reduce the chances of kidnapping for sex trafficking, widespread rape, and as discussed throughout this article, both violent crime and property crime. Prepping for these kinds of disasters with get home bags and bug out bags so you’re ready to act on a moments notice is also key.
What’s The Big Picture?
The bigger picture in all of this? If you’re on the fences of faith, it’s time to get your life right with God, repentance and everything that goes with it. That’s where true protection and security begin; though, anything, and I mean anything, can happen, once you’re a believer.
If you’re not a believer, ultimately, there’s simply no hope. Hope is only found in Jesus. And without hope, what is there to live for?
Read more about what to do in a home invasion here.
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Author Fred Tyrell is an Eagle Scout and a retired police officer.
“I love the great outdoors and I am very conservation minded. It is my wish to pass along to other generations what I have learned in my lifetime. I am a champion marksman with handguns, rifles, and shotguns. You can read more of my articles on Survivor’s Fortress.”
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