I know that security is a bit of a show and its really more of a deterant, but I was wondering realistically how I could prevent someone breaking and entering a small-ish American home? What is actually effective?
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Build a moat.
It’s not impenetrable, but let’s be honest, who’s crazy enough to break into the house with a moat?
As a locksmith, I can tell you what I tell my paranoid customers. Buying the greatest lock in the world doesn’t do shit if you still have first floor windows.
I always thought that was funny. Same with cheap, stick-built apartments with only the wood studs and two layers of drywall between them, the hallway, and other units, but tenants massively fortifying only the door.
Home Alone has some solid ideas
Lesson from South Africa: by the time they are at your door it’s too late. Perimeter fencing, preferably a 2m high wall with razor wire AND electric fence on top (including on gate). Garden: floodlights, motion sensing alarms, beams, AI cameras. All doors and windows: bars and security gates. Inside: separate living and sleeping area with lockable gate in the hall between. Panic buttons…
None of that is going to stop a legal intrusion, each just buys you time before the paid security company arrive with guns to chase away intruders. Given time, any determined attacker will get in eventually…
Owning a gun. Don’t shoot to kill, shoot to send a message. If the thief knows you’re not fucking around, they won’t try that shit again unless they’re dumb enough to think you’ve trashed the gun by not needing it.
And only shoot to defend yourself, target non-vital areas if you’re able, shoot for graze shots. But don’t shoot to kill if it can be helped.
target non-vital areas if you’re able, shoot for graze shots. But don’t shoot to kill if it can be helped.
This is bad advice and will possibly leave you in more legal trouble then if you killed a home invader. Most places in the US, you aren’t justified to shoot at someone unless you reasonably fear for your life. Shooting to wound or maim has been used successfully in the past to “prove” you weren’t fearing for your life, turning an otherwise “justified” shooting into an "unjustified"one.
This is not advocation to shoot people. It is always a better option to get away to safety or prevent the intrusion via security methods like bars on windows and heavy, locked doors.
IANAL.
Did you skip over the part where I said “only shoot to defend yourself”?
You did, didn’t you. Not my fault.
If you asking how you secure your residence against ICE…good luck with that. They have legal access to an expansion of the Patriot Act for warrants, and they have toys they’d love to use against any home security. All that physical security is going to do is give them probable cause.
Have you seen the film Home Alone 2?
Who is your enemy?
If it is just some random burglar, create some fear with triple locks and cameras and you are good.
If it is a government operation, you better leave the country before they even start looking for you.
Ageeed. If random burglar, dud cameras and the “secured by” lawn signs are plenty effective. The appearance of security is a sufficient deterrent for all but determined robbers, or those targeting you specifically (where a camera will not do anything for prevention anyway).
Ah, good old aposematism!
The ONLY way to stop someone who really really really wants into your house from entering your house. Is to not have a house.
Taps side of head Can’t have your house broken into if you don’t have a house.
Being a less attractive target than your neighbours, either by being a bigger hassle or by looking like there’s nothing worth stealing.
Not wrong, however you gotta be really skilled to make it look like you got nothing worth the effort and at the same time not looking too easy to break in. Some people like to break in and just rummage through shit, even if stuff truly isn’t worth taking.
My grandmother lived in a rough neighborhood and got broken into several times. The stuff she got taken were old worn clothes and just old junk. There were never any valuables, they took her jewelry but it wasn’t expensive stuff. You get the idea. Yet it happened. And her house never looked like it would have valuables anyway. Still a nuisance for her and a very unpleasant experience.
Yeah I got broken into and I woke up from a nap mid-robbery. I literally just talked to the dude, he was some drifter who said he “wanted to get out of the rain and the door was unlocked”. A few of the houses in my little cut of town are vacants so he probably was telling the truth. I’m tucked away in the woods but still in the city.
Anyway I did ask him to leave and he went “I reorganized some of your stuff into that bag”, which was my bookbag lol. After he left I looked and he was def gonna steal some things but it was like a bunch of mail, some old movies, a couple video games, a set of drill bits I had just gotten and hadn’t opened yet. Just random shit.
Used to be a locksmith in Miami, this is exactly it!
Desperate people want money, not a fight.
Any street-facing windows should always be shrouded by curtains or shutters. Don’t let anyone passing by just see into your home.
Learned that at apartments. Just having everything locked up tight and shutters meant our neighbor got broken into and not us one day.
Oh right. Can you get some pet geese for the outside? Nothing louder than geese
Were I in a less secure neighborhood: Deadbolt, second deadbolt, dog.
Provide universal health care, low cost.of living to income ratio, free higher education, strong community building, and walkable cities.
Thank you. Now what can I do with the money left in my bank account after that
Buy a yacht
Those aren’t very secure from the modern super breakandentereptile, the buck toothed electric límpido snake eel dragon lizard.
Buy 2 in case one gets destroyed
As long as it’s over 150 feet it’s safe from orcas!
It would be nice. But not something I can provide right now :D. Let you know if I become a billionaire.
No, no. We want solutions to problems we don’t really have! Not something that would make life for 99.9% of Americans better…
Having two locks including a proper deadbolt with a decent type of key. You want a deadbolt that goes deep into the door frame, not a cheap one that barely hits the strike plate. That and locking windows with window film will keep most people out.
Nothing will keep someone out who really wants to get in. You just need to make the hassle greater than their desire to get in.
Steel door jam maybe instead of flimsy wood?
And make sure the strike plate is set into a hardwood frame with 3" screws.
Layers.
Plant something with thorns or pointy leaves to block easy access to windows. Even better as a hedge around the whole property. Anti break film on windows. Heavy duty exterior doors. Motion sensing lights. Cameras, +1 for cameras with built in lights that can recognize people and automatically turn on.
Every layer should either strengthen, increase risk of being caught, or make access painful. They will go towards easier targets.
Any windows you want to restrict access to, plant these things:
They are no joke. Just remember, if you need that window for emergency egress it will not be a pleasant experience. Probably better than dying, but not by much.
Nice. I’ve always looked at holly bushes or cacti.
Bougainvillea are fucking savage, and they grow really fast
