I'm settling in. There's lots of petty crime here and the occasional mugging. I walk the dog after it's a bit light in the morning, and right at sundown in the evening. When it's dark it's harder to see him (someone might make a stupid mistake), and the stray dogs and cats are more of a problem. I still prefer my 38 snubs for carry. That's what I'm used to.
I left my truck unlocked the other night and someone stole things out of the glove compartment. I knew what was happening (the dog was going nuts), but I'm not going to shoot someone (or let my dog maul them) because of some ballpoint pens. When the weather cools down I'll build a proper six-foot fence with a gate for the vehicles, and a dog door in the backdoor for him. He'll watch over the vehicles and tools and so forth.
I grew up in working class neighborhoods like this, and it's coming back to me easily enough. Still laughing when people say "the neighborhood doesn't matter". Yeah, it matters. People in my previous neighborhood made too much money to bother stealing your lawnmower or mugging you. Here it's somewhat common. You can make up some crazy story where the sketchy guys here band together to drive somewhere far away to mug a rich guy working in his garden, but the truth is that they are homeless or close to it, and only the wealthy ones own a bicycle. They only do crimes within walking or bicycling distance of where they're staying.
Still carrying a snub 38 most of the time because of muscle memory. My hands still prefer it to my small semiautos. Still sleep with a 38 next to me for the same reason, though there is now a loaded 12-gauge available for really pesky situations.
More bullets don't make you more safe. What's keeping me safe on walks is that I'm big and rough-looking, and I'm walking around with a very large and alert-looking dog. If I have to pull out a pistol and start shooting (in the middle of a residential area), I've already failed.
That kind of rationale will lead to you getting robbed/injured or killed.
By the time you determine it's time to draw that revolver it will be too late.
Letting a DB knowingly steal your stuff is just an invitation for them to come back and take more stuff.
You don't have to confront them face to face/or let the dog out, just blow off an air horn out your door to let them know you are watching.
Yeh, it was just some pens this time but could be something more valuable next time, like a cat. converter.
Build a wall/fence if you think it will help (most towns have codes against them), but cameras would be a less costly option that would not make your house look like a fortress.
As far as dog walks, I suggest you carry something less lethal, like pepper spray.
Pulling a gun on an aggressive pan handler will get you laughed at as the pan handler knows you will not shoot them, you will need to fight one-handed, and can be charged with brandishing or threatening, after the fact.
Having that pepper spray in hand during your walks, negates any draw/don't draw thought process.
""What's keeping me safe on walks is that I'm big and rough-looking.""
It won't be long before that safety will be lost when those dirt bags decide to team up on you.
Once you are flanked by those DBs where you cannot see them both, expect the one out of view to become aggressive towards you.
You need more than one means of defense, so I suggest you get some pepper spray and train with it.
jmo,
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for wanting to be close to help your mother. I look at it this way, she took care of you when you couldn't and now it's time for you to pay that back although many people won't.
