Living in the suburbs comes with many different advantages when compared to living in the countryside or a big city. However, just because your neighborhood is much quieter doesn’t mean it won’t be targeted by home invaders.
Statistically speaking, you’re more likely to be involved in a home invasion attack than in a house fire. So no, home invasions don’t take place only in areas with high crime rates. Home invasion attacks are actually far more common than people think. With that said, it is best to apply certain tactics for home defense:
Develop a Plan With Your Family
If you know how to defend yourself but your family doesn’t, then you’re going to have a much harder time then necessary. Get them all on the same page. You need to develop a code word that will tell your entire family that it’s time to spring into action.
And don’t bother coming up with an overcomplicated passphrase. It can instead be a very simple word such as “escape” or “intruder”. That way, you’ll know for sure that your family knows what’s up without having to take second guesses. And each one will know how to act depending on the plan that you’ve come up with.
You could all work as a team if all members have firearm or general defense training, or they can try to flee while you take care of the troublemaker(s). How you train your family to handle potential intruders is up to you, their nerves, and their physical strength in equal measure.
Have a Weapon Stash Ready
Depending on the state in which you live, gun laws will differ tremendously. However, we do recommend purchasing firearms (legally, of course) and having a few at the ready so you and your family can deal with the intruders properly until the police arrive.
We recommend taking a look at reviews for the best handgun for home defense, so you’ll know what fits your style, posture, and much, much more. Even if you never use it, it’s better to be prepared than to be sorry. In fact, you should be happy if you buy it and never have to use it outside of practice.
If you already have an AR-15, better equip it with additional accessories for more accurate shooting. An AR-15 carry handle rear sight is one of the best accessories you can get for your weapon. It’s adjustable for windage and elevation with dual aperture, allowing you to be more accurate and precise when doing long-range and short-range shooting.
Install a Security System – Even a Basic One
Sure, getting a full set of cameras, motion sensors, and whatnot can get quite expensive. However, a basic security system shouldn’t be unattainable if you can afford to live in the suburbs. So, with that in mind, you should get an alarm system for your entryways that alerts you when someone opens a door without the use of a key or card.
Another neat and relatively affordable thing you can do is get burglar bars for your windows. While not exactly aesthetically pleasing, they make sure that it’s far harder for home invaders to get inside your house.
Alternatively, you can purchase security window film, which is made to give more resistance to the glass, thus forcing home invaders to make much more noise if they want to break it. Oh, and window locks in combination with that – for obvious reasons.
And just in case all else fails, you might want to consider adopting a dog from a shelter and training it to bark if it detects intruders.
Help Your Neighbors Too
The best part about living in the suburbs is that neighborly love. Share this article with people in your neighborhood so they too can be better prepared in case of such an emergency.