Tips That Can Help You Avoid A Home Invasion

Author: Kenny Heimbuch

Home Invasion

For about the last decade or so now in North America, home invasion burglaries have been increasing at alarming rates. While the police regard these as burglaries, they generally are much more violent than a regular break and enter home burglary.

Since there are no specific charges in the Criminal Code as "home invasion", the actual statistics, and prevalence of home invasions are hard to quantify. A problem here is too, that without a clear picture of how real the risk of these crimes happening in your area are, it is hard to inform the public against them.

Typical Home Invaders

The home invader works in many ways, quite opposite to the common home burglar. Where the burglar commonly will pick homes he knows are likely to not be occupied, the home invader is looking for a home with the residents at home. In most cases, this is because the criminal feels that backed by the threats of immediate violence, they could gain information from the residents, like where valuables are stored, banking information, "PIN numbers", etc.

The common burglar invariably works in the daytime, when people are at work between 9am and 5 pm, while most home invasions occur between 6pm and 6am. Most home invaders are armed, and carry restraining utilities, such as ropes and duct tape.

Home invaders will typically try to use a ploy to get the unsuspecting resident to open the door, upon which they will force their way in. It is usual that the ploy can involve a young girl to ring the doorbell,while her accomplices wait at the side of the door just out of reach of the peephole.

• Tip #1: The first defense between you and the thugs is a strong, solid core door. Preferably a steel one, set in a steel reinforced frame. The page on 23 home security tips has lots of information on making doors more secure.
• Tip #2: The next asset you have is your telephone. Call 911 immediately when you suspect this sort of thing at your door.
• Tip #3: Use the peephole before opening your door at all times. If there is no-one visible, do not open it.
• Tip #4: Build a safe room in your house with an extra cellular phone, where you and your family can run to immediately when someone starts to kick your door down.
• Tip #5: Fortify all exterior entrances to your home,especially rear patio doors and inner doors from the garage.
• Tip #6: Get a CCTV camera system. If something does happen, there will be evidence for the police. Often, this sort of thing alone has helped solve the most horrific crimes.
• Tip #7: Set up a speed-dial on your phone to 911, and also make it so that your phone can be used in speaker phone mode, so that when the 911 call comes in, the dispatcher can hear what is going on.
• Tip #8: Practice an escape plan with your family, and have a way out of the house. Perhaps figure a way to get the children out of the house to go for help.
• Tip #9: Do not ever agree to be taken to an ATM machine unless you feel your life hangs in the balance. Same goes for getting into a vehicle or trunk.
• Tip #10: Get a good alarm system and have prominently displayed home alarm system decals on your doors and windows.

About the author:
Kenny Heimbuch is an author living in Ontario, Canada. Find more articles on home security and personal safety at http://livesafely.org

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