Turning Our Home into a Castle: Action

It is a cornerstone of western common law that a man’s home is his castle – both in the sense that he may feel secure within and defend same from intruders. However, just like concealed carry, home defense is a multilayered proposition, with deadly force as the final option.

Get to know your immediate neighbors. If they know who you are, your neighbors are more likely to care if your house is being broken into, and more likely to call you, and the police. Additionally, as your neighbors get to know you better, they will know who does and who does not, belong on your property.

Once you know your immediate neighbors, you should begin branching out to get an even better sense of who lives in your neighborhood, who has business there, and who does not. When you see someone you don’t know, don’t hesitate to greet them. This serves two purposes. If the person lives in your neighborhood, you get to know more of your neighbors. If the person does not live in your neighborhood, they learn that people in that area are keeping an eye out. If the person you greet has nefarious motives, this will probably serve as a hint to try elsewhere.

I’ll add that you should also not hesitate to call the police if you see someone acting suspiciously. You should know who lives in your neighborhood, what vehicles belong there, who has business there, etc. Far too many law-abiding citizens are worried about calling the police over suspicious activity because of the misguided notion that it would take the police away from more important work. Responding to citizen complaints is the backbone of policing. When you call, describe what is suspicious. Don’t lie or exaggerate to make it sound better or more serious, because the person you are calling on COULD have a legitimate reason for being there. Again, if someone is casing your neighborhood and the police stop them for a chat after a resident greeted them and found them suspicious, it will demonstrate to the criminal element that this neighborhood is not worth it. A tight knit neighborhood committed to a sense of community duty will give you far better security than bars over your windows.

Additionally, you should try to avoid looking like you have something worth stealing. Just about every home invasion I have seen has been targeted in one way or another. Many times, the motive is drugs or cash (usually from the sale of drugs.) Does this mean that everyone targeted for a home invasion is a drug dealer? Absolutely not. The criminal element operates off rumors and hunches just like anyone else. As an example, if you made a major electronics purchase, don’t leave the box out by the curb where all who drive by can see it. Break the box down until it will fit inside your recycling can. Taking this age-old tip into the modern age – lock your social media down. Ask yourself how much information about your home and routine can be gleaned from someone browsing your social media? In my profession, it is routine to rely on open sources like social media.

Security through obscurity doesn’t just apply to your social media postings and not leaving evidence of expensive purchases by the curb. It also applies to the ways you limit access to your home. Besides drawing attention, things like burglar bars are just plain ugly. Your significant other, your HOA, or your neighbors may take issue with unsightly modifications. Remember – no fortification or barricade lasts forever. An adversary who is trained, equipped, or determined enough is eventually going to gain access. The role of your home security is to deter, delay, and frustrate attempts to enter your home.

Criminals are going to try to gain access to your home the same way you do – through windows and doors. You would not believe how easily most exterior doors are defeated with a simple kick. An easy, low profile solution to delay intruders is to upgrade your deadbolt from an ANSI grade 3 to an ANSI grade 2 or ANSI grade 1. Replacing your lock’s strike plates with a heavier duty model is another cheap, simple step. And finally – most locks and hinges are held in by pathetically short screws. Replacing these screws with longer ones (you can usually get away with 3” screws) will make your door significantly harder to defeat, even if you don’t upgrade the dead bolt or striker plate. For doors which are out of view, like basement doors, a door security bar (commonly referred to as a New York stop) is a low profile and inexpensive method of denying access. Applying a security film to your windows will significantly delay and frustrate a criminal’s actions. These films are available online and can be applied either by you or a professional. Rather than allowing your window to be shattered outright, it keeps the glass together for a longer period of time, delaying entry. This security measure can also be applied to glass patio doors. Finally, planting bushes under the windows, especially if they are prickly or thorny, can help deter criminals from attempting to use them as an entry point, as in addition to being uncomfortable they know how suspicious it looks to be standing in a bush. However, this is only effective if the bushes are well kept enough to not provide concealment when attacking the window.

That said - all these measures will be in vain if you don’t lock your doors and windows. I was once planning for an operation where the suspects were known to have significant fortifications on the doors. While we prepared a breach plan to counter this, these barricades would still cost us valuable time. As we made our final approach to the target location, the overwatch team advised us over the radio that the front door of the location was wide open, and a suspect was standing in the doorway smoking a cigarette. Due to their poor discipline, we were able to make entry immediately and unimpeded. If you think the criminal element won’t try a doorknob, you are mistaken. To reinforce that once more – Lock. Your. Doors.

To understand home security, you must understand the criminal. They are looking for the cheap score. That is why they became crooks instead of holding down an honest job like you or I. They want a quick hit, a smash and grab with minimal risk to themselves. The physical security of your home is about deterring and delaying the criminal. The longer they are on your property and trying to break in, the more likely they are to be detected and caught by citizen or police. The moment they begin trying to break in, their clock starts running – and they know it. The more effort you force them to expend in their crimes – avoiding watchful neighbors, no visible indicators of a good score, locked doors, reinforced windows and locks – the more likely they are to give up and flee.

And what if the criminal trying to gain entry to your home…to your castle…is that motivated and determined adversary who does overcome your physical security measures and enter with intent to do you or your family harm? Then they will hopefully be met by a trained and armed citizen.

-Flynn