Alert Systems in Home Invasion

[wayneinFL]

A recent incident shows the importance of having some kind of alert system, be it electronic or at least a dog. In this case, just having a gun close by wasn't enough to escape serious injury.

An 85-year-old woman was handcuffed to a chair during an armed home invasion. She killed the robber and survived. - East Idaho News

A robber was shot to death by an elderly woman during a home invasion. Proscuators say the woman was handcuffed to a chair and managed to get a gun.

www.eastidahonews.com

Police investigation shows a broken window and a screwdriver next to a door. The attacker made some noise getting into the house. The elderly victim was asleep with a gun under her pillow, but was overpowered before she could access it.

She eventually overcame her attacker, but authorities weren't alerted for medical help until hours later when her disabled son was able to call for help.

It's hard to imagine that the injuries wouldn't have been less severe and mitigated better if there was an alert system to wake the likely hearing impaired old woman, and alert authorities to respond.

 

[Slamfire]

One can make a case for planting land mines in the yard, or stationing a Division of Marines to protect your house. Don't know the woman, but if she is only getting Social Security, the average person is getting under $2,000 a month. Not exactly big money, especially when old people are paying out the ying yang for pills and doctor visits, and things like a new roof are beyond the financial means of a pensioner.

Also, understand something like a cell phone can be pushing the technological limits of an old person. I am always behind what the latest and greatest technology is, and what it does.

 

[CDW4ME]

Tough old lady.
Our German Shepherd sleeps outside our bedroom door and a Bullmastiff sleeps within feet of him.
The melee that would ensue should someone try to get to my bedroom door could pull one out of a coma.
And I'll have no trouble being armed quickly.

 

[wayneinFL]

One can make a case for planting land mines in the yard, or stationing a Division of Marines to protect your house. Don't know the woman, but if she is only getting Social Security, the average person is getting under $2,000 a month. Not exactly big money, especially when old people are paying out the ying yang for pills and doctor visits, and things like a new roof are beyond the financial means of a pensioner.

Also, understand something like a cell phone can be pushing the technological limits of an old person. I am always behind what the latest and greatest technology is, and what it does.

I thought it went without saying that if you can't afford ADT or a dog, then you can't afford ADT or a dog.

Where are you on all the threads where people are advocating training or practice to say "Yeah, you could put land mines out, too, but people can't afford ammo."

 

[tazbigdog]

Rottweiler working security!

 

[The Night Rider]

One can make a case for planting land mines in the yard,

Apparently Antipersonell mines have been banned even for military use since 1992.

 

[trackskippy]

We have all sorts of land mines in our yard. Not quite as dangerous as some of the others, but you don't want to step on them all the same.

You can have perimeter alarms these days for pretty cheap. Amazon has tons of them. You can have a set of 4, each with their own tones, for around $100. Thats the first layer.

The second layer are motion lights, which are pretty cheap too.

If you can afford them, dogs are a great third layer and can also make for a good first layer. Ours often sense/hear things and go off before the perimeter alarms or lights do. You can have different levels of dog too. Maybe just a noise maker, or maybe an active security force. 250# of annoyed Rotties is a pretty good deterrent, and that's before you ever see them.

As kids, we grew up with an assortment of mutts and purebreds, all from pups, and all of them were protective of the pack. You don't have to dump a lot of money on a dog, but they also arent cheap these days, especially the purebreds, and feeding them isn't cheap anymore either, so there is that. But for the money, you really cant beat them, especially if you're alone.

 

[plainsdrifter]

We have all sorts of land mines in our yard. Not quite as dangerous as some of the others, but you don't want to step on them all the same.

You can have perimeter alarms these days for pretty cheap. Amazon has tons of them. You can have a set of 4, each with their own tones, for around $100. Thats the first layer.

The second layer are motion lights, which are pretty cheap too.

If you can afford them, dogs are a great third layer and can also make for a good first layer. Ours often sense/hear things and go off before the perimeter alarms or lights do. You can have different levels of dog too. Maybe just a noise maker, or maybe an active security force. 250# of annoyed Rotties is a pretty good deterrent, and that's before you ever see them.

As kids, we grew up with an assortment of mutts and purebreds, all from pups, and all of them were protective of the pack. You don't have to dump a lot of money on a dog, but they also arent cheap these days, especially the purebreds, and feeding them isn't cheap anymore either, so there is that. But for the money, you really cant beat them, especially if you're alone.

Yeah, I got those solar powered driveway alarms first line of defense. They are great and cheap.
I can tell which side of my truck someone may be on, or if the mailman comes up the driveway, got a long driveway. Then cameras , only outside, solar powered motion floodlights and solar powered Ring cameras and doorbell. Alarm system on doors and windows. My dog died so....

 

[wayneinFL]

I hadn't heard of the driveway alarms. I have a set ordered.

 

[.308 Norma]

The melee that would ensue should someone try to get to my bedroom door could pull one out of a coma.

 

[MarshallDodge]

Tough old lady.
Our German Shepherd sleeps outside our bedroom door and a Bullmastiff sleeps within feet of him.
The melee that would ensue should someone try to get to my bedroom door could pull one out of a coma.
And I'll have no trouble being armed quickly.

Mine is a Doberman, who happens to know the difference between the people that walk in the house.

 

[DeepSouth]

I hadn't heard of the driveway alarms. I have a set ordered.

I live (alone) in middle of a cow pasture so if someone comes up my driveway they are either looking for me or they’re lost. I love my driveway alarm, I have plenty of time to see who’s coming before they get close. The UPS driver asked me once how I knew he was coming before he got there.

They are pretty cheap as well, I highly recommend one.

 

[ojibweindian]

Small dogs. That's my alert system. Neighbors have a few, and I've got one. Pretty reliable.

 

[plainsdrifter]

Rottweiler working security!
View attachment 1206281

My covid buddy Clifford. Got him in January of 2020. Half Mastiff and half Lab. They are called Mastadors. He was three years old and some F'r poisoned him. A stinkin neighbor poisoned him with rat poison because an ongoing dispute. He had 4 ounces of it in his system, had an autopsy done. We have no proof someone threw poison over the wall because my cameras were down because of a paint job. He weighed 125lbs and could look you in the eyes with his paws on your shoulder, I'm 5'9".
He liked to fetch and had big sticks.

 

[Mosin77]

I recently discovered my 2023 model car (which I always park outside) will alarm if I try to open the door when it’s locked. Maybe normal but it was news to me. I’m extremely good at always making sure the doors are locked. This suggests that I should probably use this to my advantage, by making a habit of placing something intrinsically not valuable, but tempting in plain sight (maybe an Apple branded laptop case?) so that a would-be burglar will be motivated to try his luck on the car first before proceeding to the house.

Beyond that, a recent thread sold me on the benefits of motion lights and cameras. Both of which can be set up with phone notification. With tech as cheap as it is these days, one doesn’t have to spend a lot to come up with an alert system that is better than hoping you hear the sound of someone forcing the lock.

 

[JTHunter]

Mosin - the car I'm driving is an Elantra, one of those that are supposedly so easily stolen with the USB plug. Hyundai addes additional software to "enhance" the security BUT you must use the fob to activate that software. As my car sits in an open carport, when I'm done with the car for the day, I use the fob to activate that feature.
There are also MD lights at both the front & rear corners of the carport and both activate before you're within 10' of the car. The sensitivity on the front one, even on the lowest level, has the light activating with an overcast sky or before sunset.
No phone link as my phone is a "folder" - not a "smart" phone.

 

[jmorris]

Apparently Antipersonell mines have been banned even for military use since 1992.

Yet there are some still in use...

 

[lightman]

Wow, thats a tough Lady! I would like to buy Her a cup of coffee!

 

[JohnKSa]

I'm really glad she survived. I think she would have been better off if she had the gun closer to hand and didn't have to retrieve it from the bedroom only after being cuffed to a chair.

Once she had retrieved it, already knowing the guy was armed, she probably should have barricaded herself somewhere and then shot him as soon as he tried to breach her position after she had her gun instead of going back to the room where he expected her to be and hiding it in the couch. It sounds like she waited and then when she did finally decide to get it from where she had hidden it after retrieving it from her bedroom she did so in a manner that gave him a chance to respond by shooting her back. You really don't want to do that--fortunately she survived.

When she had a chance (while she was retrieving her gun), she probably should have dialed 911 if at all possible--even if she just left the phone off the hook. After the shooting, she ended up lying on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds, for 10hrs which is not a good recipe for survival.

Finally, she shot the guy twice when she finally decided to respond with deadly force but he was still able to empty his gun into her and get to another room. If it was at all possible to do so, shooting more than twice might have cut down on the return fire.

Like I say, I'm glad she survived. I hope her recovery is proceeding very well, but I really wish she had done some things differently--she might have been able to get out of this situation unwounded--or at least in better shape than she did.