I came across this article discussing a recent home invasion. In summary, Goldsboro, North Carolina police are investigating a home invasion where a man and woman were held at gunpoint by multiple suspects who forced their way into the house around 8 at night. The suspects got away with only $95 worth of property, including car keys and cards, but left behind two phones. Thankfully, nobody was injured, and the suspects fled the scene. Sadly, police haven’t arrested anyone.
Why do I bring this up? Isn’t this a blog about surviving natural disasters and the inevitable collapse of western civilization?
Geez, no need to be so harsh! But I do have a few points…
First, home invasions, burglaries, and other “personal” or “single-family” troubles are one of those things that survivalists don’t pay enough attention to. While incidents like these always feel like they’re happening to somebody else, in places where there’s rampant crime, they can absolutely happen to you. I don’t want to give you yet another problem to worry about, but we can’t ignore them, either.
Second, survival isn’t merely about a one-time catastrophic event, like a natural disaster. It’s knowing about (and preparing for) all the scenarios that could happen, big or small, including something as terrifying as a home invasion. It’s about doing the things, often the little things, that make a difference day-to-day, like locking your doors. And it’s very much about knowing what’s coming (like an impending hurricane), what’s trending (like home invasions), and what’s possible if not probable (like the coming collapse of the West).
Third, while it’s easy to get wrapped up in major world events, such as the wars abroad, terror attacks, attempts on the life of he-who-shall-not-be-named according to the media, and a general tread toward a breakdown of our once great country, there’s still life that needs to be lived. There’s stuff to do. We have localized disasters and personal problems, too.
Most of the time, bad things happen to individuals or small groups of people, whether that’s a tornado hitting a small town or the mugging of a young woman by a ten-year-old boy, rather than the entire country. [Okay, that happened in the UK, so I guess we’ve got nothing to worry about in the USA?] Regardless, I’ll remind you to keep doing good things for yourself, your family, and those around you because it’s either that or we all descend into madness.
Now, I’ll get off my soapbox and discuss the story I started with above…
Lacking details, it’s hard to say that simply being armed would’ve stopped an incident like this. Home invasions happen lightning fast, catching homeowners off-guard, which is the entire point, after all. Criminals like these usually work in teams. In this instance, there were several people who invaded the home, at least one of whom was armed with a rifle. The sheer number of invaders would make a response, even by an armed and vigilant homeowner, difficult, to say the least. Might it have deterred the robbers or, at minimum, given them reason to turn tail and run? Perhaps.
Additionally, I can’t say that simply keeping your doors and windows locked would’ve prevented such an attack either. Why? Because these people often knock or ring the doorbell, sometimes posing as a city worker or deliveryman; they might even use an accomplice to knock, like a desperate-looking woman, throwing you off. Then, when you answer, multiple attackers rush the door from your blind spot, taking you by surprise. Even using the front door peephole probably wouldn’t have been sufficient to warn you of the threat.
Some say that home invasions are on the rise because, according to authorities, people are using cameras (like Ring doorbells) and home security systems; others say home invasions are declining since 2012. My guess is that it depends on where you live. In either case, criminals don’t want to be caught in the act or after-the-fact, so I can see how they’d find it easier to strike when people are home, when their alarm systems aren’t active, and they’re busy with eating dinner and living life. It’s an interesting tactic, to be sure, and one that’s difficult to combat given our general trust of others. You’ll need to be extra vigilant if you want to avoid such troubles in the future.
You could, for instance, refuse to open a door to anyone you don’t know. But these people are often persuasive, if not demanding, so you’ll have to remain strong in your defiance. You could check security camera footage, if you have it; maybe you can peek out side windows just to be sure. Or maybe you could open the door a crack, but use some sort of strong secondary brace to defeat or hinder rush attacks, thus giving you time to flee, arm yourself, or do something else.
But here’s the problem: it’s difficult to stay that vigilant at all times for years on end. Time passes and we get lazy. Or, dumb luck strikes and the home invaders happen to pick on you at about the same time you were expecting that rush Amazon delivery of 9mm ammo … oh, wait, they don’t sell ammo. Wishful thinking on my part! And, of course, it’s not like home invasions are happening every other day or else it would be a no-brainer to act differently.
But home invasions are a thing. They’re scary. And they’re sometimes deadly. Thus, I encourage you to take actions to prevent or minimize the chances of them occurring to you. Lock your doors. Pay attention to what’s around you. Add appropriate decals (you decide which are appropriate) to windows and put up cameras everywhere! Stick “no trespassing” signs in your yard. Get big, vicious-looking dogs that are really sweethearts on the inside. Make it obvious your home is not the place to go after. And, while these actions are a good start, there’s a lot more you can do to thwart burglaries, in particular, but it’ll help with home invasions, too. Whatever you do, take action now because sometimes you don’t get a second chance to do the right thing to keep your family safe.
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