How safe is your home?

This was a number of years ago, but I used to live in a large city, in a trailer park. Out neighbor was an obvious drug dealer. A few times an hour you'd watch someone pull up to the curb outside his place, he go out the car and come back a few minutes later. The trailer park was directly across the street from an elementary school where cops used to hang out in the parking lot. They watched him deal all day, every day. Nice neighborhood.

 

They don't call it "Slummerville" for nothing. Most of the Salem chapter of Hells Angels live there too.

Boston native here.

 

We live in area that is probably considered Lower Socio-Economic; I call it a "hood." Our subdivision used to be relatively quiet, but things have changed. Housing prices have remained high enough to keep rental properties fairly low. The resulting high rents have kept the "low life" factor in check, but some (most?) renters cover that by having several families living in the same house. We've had neighbors where if I saw someone carrying a large TV out of the house I wouldn't know whether to give them a hand or call the police.

We have, & have had, several dogs, some large, pretty much the entire time we've lived here. We're convinced that is one of the reasons we've never been burgled. Several of our neighbors have been broken into.

 

Great thread, @Borla.

Probably more secure than most in the area and more secure than the area requires. It is better to be vigilant and bored than complacent and violated.

Very low. There are break-ins, but my location and situation are such that it's as close to zero as it can get.

- House upkeep maintained to prevent targeting
- Quality locks properly anchored to the door frames
- Backup keys secured outside the house for emergencies
- Door and window locks actually locked all goddamn the time
- Bright lighting installed around exterior perimeter to prevent lurking
- Garage is empty except for vehicles, house-to-garage door has deadbolt
- Friendly with the neighbors so as to have a support network if need be
- Smoke / CO2 detectors hardwired with battery backups on all floors
- Proper fire extinguishers on every floor in the house in an easy-access location
- Multiple legit trauma kits in house and in all vehicles (nobody is bleeding to death on me)
- Interior lights on automatic timers set randomly (some Home Alone shenanigans)
- Documents with personal info are always shredded, never placed in trash
- Old non-contract cellphones placed throughout the house for 911 calls
- Less-than-lethal options for dealing with dogs, drunks
- Lethal options for dealing with .001% situations

Given more time and money, this place would be a castle.

- Dog (working on this)
- Film on the basement windows
- Solid core interior doors

A lot. I'm gone half the year so it is my job to make sure the woman is set up for success.

...

Here's some interesting ITS links to further the home security discussion:

* Beat the Clock: Most Burglaries Take Place in 8 Minutes

* Top 10 Garage Door Security Tips to Prevent Break-Ins

* Use These Tips to Protect You and Your Family Against Home Invasions

* What To Do in the Crucial 3 Hours After a Burglary

 

I grew up in a ghetto neighborhood in Boston (Mattapan) and my father grew up in the projects and was a Boston cop, so we were raised to be very security and safety conscious. Despite all that I had a gun pulled on me once, and a knife twice.

I live in a nice area now but haven't changed my habits. Keep everything locked, everything is out of sight in our cars, I have dogs (they're pretty friendly but they're Beagles so bark a lot), and yeah, I own guns that're strategically placed around the house.

 

lets just say this.
1 i own several guns, one within arms reach most times.
2 i have a big ass pit bull who will rip you to pieces if she done know you,
3 im 6'2" 350

 

I also am armed but not dangerous, my dog died at the bumper of a mini van, no plans to replace him. I loved my lil Boo. and I'm 6' 2" 245. I don't worry or lock anything, it's soooo nice living in the country

 

lived in my house 39 years ...never locked it...xoxoxoo

 

What brand of chainsaw do you prefer?

On the subject of guns:
The guns that make us feel safe when we're at home also attract burgulars when we're not at home.

 

Our house is protected. We shop smart. We shop S-Mart.

 

My precautions are very similar to what other have mentioned... keep the exterior of the home clean and well kept of growth so that any burglar would be spotted breaking in by the multitude of dog-walkers and joggers on my street. I also pick up the bags of McDonald's and Jack in the Box trash in front of the house that the teenagers like tossing out their car windows to and from high school. My doors and windows are always locked. I'm a renter, so there's a limit as to what I can do to the house, but the landlords did install motion-detecting exterior lights which is nice. Also, whenever I leave the house and it's dark out (which can be as early as 4:30pm up here in winter) I always leave at least one interior light on so it looks like someone is home.

And because I work from home, I'm basically in the same room 96% of my life. In that room there are various firearms and I have already pre-planned a good barricade location. Flashlights and fire extinguishers are on each level of the house... as well as other "surprises."

Some things I don't think I saw other people mention in the thread:
1) If you are able to, bring in your trash and recycle cans as soon as possible after they are emptied. From a criminal's perspective, empty cans by the road are a good indicator of who is home and who isn't.

2)A former army guy moved in across the street and I noticed he always leaves a TV on at night so it looks like someone is awake (or he really is awake). Either way, it's a good deterrent.

 

@Chris Noyb I use a 14 " Poulan and it hasn't let me down. For my work a Steele just isn't required. I have 40 trees on my acre that need felled. this last few weeks all i did was clear the way to my chicken house. the dead trees and ice have left me alot of work to do. after selling off my flock to the Mjong community I am ready now for the new chicks to arrive.
--- merged: Feb 9, 2015 at 8:57 PM ---
also I have a 22lr hand gun for snakes and varmits I also have a standard pump shot gun that I can use for protection and hunting. I feel good about myself

 

We have an alarm system even though we live in the country. I never grew up with that but he did. The alarm is off at night and whenever we leave. I never thought it was necessary but then there have been a few break ins near us so it's probably good. We have a gun but need a lockbox or something for it. We live out in the boonies where it would be hard to get in and out easily so I think it's somewhat of a deterant.