HappyHunting
Member
Short run-down: In my college student cottage community http://retreatalabama.com/ there have been at least 1-2 burglaries a week that get reported since high school let out for the summer. Two last week involved the stealing of at least one firearm. To clarify, this cottage community has about 250-300 students ages 19-23 living in it between August and May and it's about 150 now in the summer. It has 7 foot chainlink fences topped with 3 strands of 45 degree outward facing barb wire surrounding it, and the entrance must be garage-style opened from about 6' from the receiver.
The fences come in to play because it is in a bad neighborhood, as in really bad. Not to profile, but it is very easy to tell the difference in a 19-23 year old college student who is paying minimum $550/mo + tuition and a group of 16 year olds in standard hood gear who jumped the fence and are roaming around with backpacks. Larceny was never a problem here when regular classes are in session. They have only occurred this summer and over Christmas and spring break when residents are less likely to be in Tuscaloosa and locals are more likely to be idle. Fortunately, every time a theft of property has taken place nobody has been home. It started out cars, but it appears they have graduated to houses. I think by the law of percentages someone will be home sooner or later.
I got my first taste of how it could happen to me any time at around 4 o'clock today. I was standing on the back porch watering a potted plant as my girlfriend and roommate are walking from the front to the back of the house to see the new chains that the staff put on a back gate and I hear them say "there's a group of black guys walking up around the front". Normally this wouldn't cause panic but the Tuscaloosa Police Department had come up at 10 pm on Friday night to tell a group of us that there had been a string of burglaries and that they involved guns. He added that if we see anything out of the ordinary to call them immediately.
After my crew got inside, I lightning-fast locked the door as one of the teens made eye contact with me through the window over the door. Between 5 and 6 high-school aged people walked less than 4 feet from my doorstep and between my house and my neighbors house, which is not a typical path as the only thing behind me is a fence and the woods. Then they all walked to one spot in the barb wire about 20 yards from my back porch over a small gate where the barb wire is vertical instead of slanted and jumped it one at a time. They proceeded through the woods and walked along the train tracks and back to where they came from.
My friend called the office and apparently their presence had already brought the attention of the police and they were told to leave and if they come back they'll all be arrested. First of all I think he should have escorted them out through the front gate. Second of all, I'm glad I have other security measures if the SHTF.
I live in a downstairs bedroom and will be at maximum 25 yards from the point of entry so my options are severely limited if I hear windows smashing at 4 am. I just treated myself to a Combat Commander and furnished it with some Hornady Critical Defense. I can get it out of its locked safe in about 4 seconds in the dark. I wanted some input on how to handle that situation because it really could happen at any time. Also consider yourself to be a 21 year old who has no idea what it would be like to fire a shot(or several) in fear.
It's a terrible thing to imagine that 6 armed and agile teenagers might very well break into your house when you are home. At what point would I be lawfully justified in using my weapon? Is it something that you intrinsically "know"? Please, any help would be appreciated.
--Side question: Would the officer who told them to leave the premises have reasonable suspicion to search their backpacks given the recent burglaries and their status as trespassers?--.
The fences come in to play because it is in a bad neighborhood, as in really bad. Not to profile, but it is very easy to tell the difference in a 19-23 year old college student who is paying minimum $550/mo + tuition and a group of 16 year olds in standard hood gear who jumped the fence and are roaming around with backpacks. Larceny was never a problem here when regular classes are in session. They have only occurred this summer and over Christmas and spring break when residents are less likely to be in Tuscaloosa and locals are more likely to be idle. Fortunately, every time a theft of property has taken place nobody has been home. It started out cars, but it appears they have graduated to houses. I think by the law of percentages someone will be home sooner or later.
I got my first taste of how it could happen to me any time at around 4 o'clock today. I was standing on the back porch watering a potted plant as my girlfriend and roommate are walking from the front to the back of the house to see the new chains that the staff put on a back gate and I hear them say "there's a group of black guys walking up around the front". Normally this wouldn't cause panic but the Tuscaloosa Police Department had come up at 10 pm on Friday night to tell a group of us that there had been a string of burglaries and that they involved guns. He added that if we see anything out of the ordinary to call them immediately.
After my crew got inside, I lightning-fast locked the door as one of the teens made eye contact with me through the window over the door. Between 5 and 6 high-school aged people walked less than 4 feet from my doorstep and between my house and my neighbors house, which is not a typical path as the only thing behind me is a fence and the woods. Then they all walked to one spot in the barb wire about 20 yards from my back porch over a small gate where the barb wire is vertical instead of slanted and jumped it one at a time. They proceeded through the woods and walked along the train tracks and back to where they came from.
My friend called the office and apparently their presence had already brought the attention of the police and they were told to leave and if they come back they'll all be arrested. First of all I think he should have escorted them out through the front gate. Second of all, I'm glad I have other security measures if the SHTF.
I live in a downstairs bedroom and will be at maximum 25 yards from the point of entry so my options are severely limited if I hear windows smashing at 4 am. I just treated myself to a Combat Commander and furnished it with some Hornady Critical Defense. I can get it out of its locked safe in about 4 seconds in the dark. I wanted some input on how to handle that situation because it really could happen at any time. Also consider yourself to be a 21 year old who has no idea what it would be like to fire a shot(or several) in fear.
It's a terrible thing to imagine that 6 armed and agile teenagers might very well break into your house when you are home. At what point would I be lawfully justified in using my weapon? Is it something that you intrinsically "know"? Please, any help would be appreciated.
--Side question: Would the officer who told them to leave the premises have reasonable suspicion to search their backpacks given the recent burglaries and their status as trespassers?--.
