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I went to college in Orange County CA in the mid 1980's when there were a lot of home invasions and gang crime in general. My impression was that these crimes were mostly by gangs who preyed on people who they could intimidate into not calling the police.
As others stated above these criminals often assault people or homes they have at least a bit of intel on.
Great points on how to protect your home and family here...
 
We had some problems in my neighborhood, and then I organized the neighbors. Then I installed motion-sensor security lighting and a proximity alarm.

Where I live it's one way in, same way out. Eight condos with a private parking lot. The thieves no longer show up here. We had some homeless folks camping in their cars on both side streets. I went out and talked to them in a nice way. Firm, but polite. We also have Samoans in this neighborhood, and they are not folks you want to mess with. Haven't had any problems for a while now. I keep a 12 gauge riot gun up in my home office, and a five shot S/W Lady Smith in 357 in the drawer.

And if someone were stupid enough to actually break in my door (been here 20 years and no incidents like that) it would be very bad for them because I hate being woke from a good sleep in the middle of the night.

Home invasions are much rarer than you think. That's why they always make the news. Straight daytime burglaries are much more common.
And WA state says you can blow them away just for trying to steal your property. Even in condos, if that property is outside in your 'assigned' parking spots, or in your common living area. (Back yard or porch or inside the home) Prosecutors seldom file on you when this happens here. They can't get convictions.

If you ever run into something bad like this, just remember to tell the cops you thought the perp was reaching for a weapon. ALWAYS say this. Even if you aren't sure, because that is something the prosecutor will hear from your lawyer, too.

Generally speaking, I'm the nicest guy you will ever meet. But regarding thieves, especially NIGHT thieves, I have absolutely no sympathy for these people. Not a scrap. People work hard for what they get, and they deserve to keep what they get by all that hard work.
 
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What do I expect...?
I expect what has actually happened in the past...My garage being broken into as well as my vehicle.

'Course , often the real world does not do as I expect , so its good to have a plan for those "what ifs."
Be careful with your planning for "what if" , so that you don't "what if" yourself to death....as in worry way too much over things that are possible , but not highly probable.

One of the best things to do is to pay attention to your surroundings and when you get a notion that things ain't quite right...heed that notion.
Andy
 
1) "And WA state says you can blow them away just for trying to steal your property."
This is contrary to everything I have ever heard about armed SD/HD. The only place I am aware of where you can shoot purely in defense of property (as opposed to life and limb) is TX, where you can shoot intruders after dark. Politically motivated prosecutors may not care as much about whether they can get a conviction as they do about intimidating people to discourage armed SD/HD. With every use of force against a BIPOC (I think that's the preferred term for a Criminal Scumbag of Color) perp having the potential to result in Burn, Loot, and Murder riots the leftie AGs and DAs really don't want you shooting the bad guys. In terms solely of $ value 5 guys with hand trucks couldn't steal enough to equal the costs involved with shooting an Orc, not to mention jeopardy to your freedom and any concomitant lawfare.

2) "If you ever run into something bad like this, just remember to tell the cops you thought the perp was reaching for a weapon. ALWAYS say this. Even if you aren't sure, because that is something the prosecutor will hear from your lawyer, too."
OF COURSE they were reaching for a weapon and you were in fear for your life, had no other feasible choice, and now you need to speak with legal counsel. (No Garrity Rights for the peons.)
 
The most likely scenario is:

My cameras will record them, my motion-sensor lights will reveal them, my dog will bark at them, my locked windows and hardened doors will prevent them from entering and, with any luck, I'll have just as many rounds left as when the scenario began. But, if all else fails...

For me, this is about more than just preventing the crime. In the event that I face a very determined intruder who ignores all the security layers and ends up in my living room with lead poisoning, it is about showing a prosecutor/jury that I did everything I could to try and prevent the end result!
 
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The most likely scenario is:

My cameras will record them, my motion-sensor lights will reveal them, my dog will bark at them, my locked windows and hardened doors will prevent them from entering and, with any luck, I'll have just as many rounds left as when the scenario began. But, if all else fails...
This:- ultra bright motion detecting lights are cheap, cameras are cheap, self install alarm systems are cheap. Unless a thief has intel that you have something really, really worth stealing ( and easy to fence), they're not going to cut your power, jam your wi-fi and outwit your alarm system. Just too much effort for casual burglars .

If someone does defeat all that, then we have defendable positions and further means of dissuasion.
 
Just added one of those doorbell camera things and love it. I can be anywhere and tap on my phone and see what is going on at the front of my house.

I just used it tonight when my girlfriend and I were watching TV and she wondered out loud if it was snowing yet. Tapped on my phone and looked and confirmed it wasn't snowing.
 
I feel my chances of a break in are small. I'm in a gated community, in a secure building, on the third floor. But in thr event of a break in happening, my P229 sits by the bed. My bed room is at the end of the hallway. Behind the line of fire is a fire place.
 
This is a scary scenario. One that would be difficult to defend.

It *probably* looks scarier than it really is. If you could get a few shots off, I doubt most of these bums are going to stand there and trade shots with you. They will most likely get the hell out.

The bad news is that you need to respond RIGHT NOW and not 15 seconds from now. This means carrying at all times. Even tougher if you are asleep - that is the scenario that really bothers me (I have no dog).

We haven't seen much here except mail box theft and recycle bin theft (going for the pop cans?). Someone lost a utility trailer nearby, and I think an attempted burglary a mile or two away. American criminals avoid entrance into occupied homes MUCH more carefully than in most countries.
 
SW Oregon can and has become exciting. The Illinois Valley even more so? Wildfire scares. Evac notices. Sometimes no law enforcement for at least 2 hours ... if the agency in question even responds. Most of the time we here have ZERO immediate law enforcement. None at all.

Not all is bad. The initial structure and seasonal wildfire response is actually very good, if a bit thin overall. ALS EMS is very good initially but quite thin overall for simultaneous or multiple ALS EMS responses. The nearest hospital 30 minutes. An excellent trauma center ... 60 minutes.

I, (we) plan for a multiple assailant home invasion during times of no law enforcement. Three to six bad guys. There is no reason for them to pick on us other than random chance. Given time they could roam at will throughout the entire neighborhood. No agency is going to stop them.

At least not in the time for them to go house to house and do what they want to do. It is up to the occupants of the homes to protect their own property. Slow down the entry. Slow down the initial invasion. Retreat a great deal. Then make the hard decisions one must make.

Today I confirmed my Renters Insurance policy does not cover earthquakes. Now I need to confirm what I long dreaded ... do they cover wildfires?. So why am I paying them good money for something that will never be reimbursed? What about home invasions? Exemptions?
 
Another example of home invasion in Portland a couple days ago. Thief broke in with a gun after saying he needed help. Crims r extremely bold nowadays knowing there aren't enough cops to catch them and even if they r caught they will be back on the street almost immediately so they probably don't see any risk in it I would guess.
 
Another example of home invasion in Portland a couple days ago. Thief broke in with a gun after saying he needed help. Crims r extremely bold nowadays knowing there aren't enough cops to catch them and even if they r caught they will be back on the street almost immediately so they probably don't see any risk in it I would guess.
And with Oregon's new legalization of all street drugs, along with Kate Brown's releasing of criminals faster than the cops can catch them, expect these crimes to increase bigtime.
 
The dog has 3 acres behind an electronic fence around the house where she has free rein. She goes nuts whenever a vehicle or even a pedestrian enters our 500' driveway. I can't hear them but she can. Closer in, there are security cameras covering 360 degrees, all approaches to the house, all entry points, viewing accessible by cell phone. I can go from sound asleep in bed to armed and dangerous within 5 seconds (biometric safe...we have little kids). There is at least one adult home at all times.

We are isolated and very rural. The most likely scenario is civil unrest in the nearby city, and rioters/looters hitting the rural "rich" neighborhoods, so I expect multiple attackers. I expect any attack to come up the 1/4 mile access road or through the woods at night. Therefor, my go to HD weapon is an AR with super light, laser, 1x scope, and red dot.
 
8 houses are on our road, 3 have been broken into in daytime. A fourth was broken into and someone was home and they left. Four of them someone is home all the time. The ones broken into do not have a vehicle in yard during the day.

We have three vehicles for the two of us and we move them often. A neighbor saw some lowlifes cruising by slow photographing houses and passed the word. So we started moving cars.

I go out for a 5 mile walk in the area and carry a AR10 or a Rem 7600. Some mornings I am out early, some days I don't leave till 10:00 or right after lunch.

One neighbor had guns stolen and he had serial numbers recorded. The guns wound up in Chicago and when punks got arrested they ran the numbers on NCIC. He had to drive to Chicago to get his guns back.
 
8 houses are on our road, 3 have been broken into in daytime. A fourth was broken into and someone was home and they left. Four of them someone is home all the time. The ones broken into do not have a vehicle in yard during the day.

We have three vehicles for the two of us and we move them often. A neighbor saw some lowlifes cruising by slow photographing houses and passed the word. So we started moving cars.

I go out for a 5 mile walk in the area and carry a AR10 or a Rem 7600. Some mornings I am out early, some days I don't leave till 10:00 or right after lunch.

One neighbor had guns stolen and he had serial numbers recorded. The guns wound up in Chicago and when punks got arrested they ran the numbers on NCIC. He had to drive to Chicago to get his guns back.
Omg! I would move asap. No way I could live with that much crime and predators around.
 
There is a lot of poverty, drugs, and property crime in this area. The most problematic of the mentally challenged, human garbage is the meth zombies. So, I'd wager if there is an issue, they'd be the most likely.

We're tucked away in the forest, but doors and windows are secured, there's an alarm system, wireless cameras, motion activated lighting all around the abode, and an auto-on, full house generator powers it if the juice isn't flowing. Failing that, the air being filled with 00-buck is an option; what it lacks in subtlety, it makes up with efficiency.
 

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