Security, somethings to think about.

[Libertas7]

Well, I used to have large collection of fine firearms, some of which I inherited from my Dad. Some older rare classic guns and some real high end sporting rifles and shotguns. That is partially why I did so much. But I sold off about 80% of my collection a few years ago. I now have a very modest collection that fits easily with room to spare inside a very secure safe. I also sold my second safe that I used to have.

There are lots of irresponsible gun owners who do not safeguard their homes, and make things real easy for burglars to get firearms illegally. They are part of the reason why so many criminals have access to firearms in our society. However, I am not one of them.

I do welcome any burglar to attempt to break into my home. I've spent so much money protecting my home, I would like to see it give me some return on my investment. My neighbors on one side is an elderly retired couple that is home most of the time. My other neighbor has a dog in his backyard, that barks whenever I go in my backyard.

Years ago one prowler did attempt to get into my backyard late at night while I was in bed. But he was foiled by the padlock on my gate. He made such a racket trying to break open the gate that he woke me up. When i finally got dressed and looked around outside, there was no one to be seen anywhere. That is what prompted me to get the security system. Most people are real stupid and don't buy a burglar alarm until AFTER they get burglarized. I decided to not wait for that to happen.

The vast majority of burglaries are committed by drug addicts, desperate for stuff to sell so they can get drugs. They are not sophisticated criminals. They are looking for homes that they can easily get in and out of. If a person has done nothing to toughen the security around their home, then they are pretty much inviting such people to their home.

Anyway, I think that the whole discussion here has been quite off-base and very much misdirected. What people here should be focusing on instead is making their home more difficult to break into.

I view this as being more an issue of choosing to do nothing, and risk being a victim, or proactively doing something, and choosing not to be a victim.

The choice is yours to make. I personally do not want any of my guns ever falling into the wrong hands. And I will do all that I can to prevent that from happening.
.

I'm not sure how clear I was. Being secure is very important, and something I could improve in, but you don't what it to be noticeable that you have something to protect. Looking like Fort Knox might discourage some but not all. That's all I was trying to say.

 

[ThemGunsThough]

I've always cringed when I see these stickers on cars or trucks. It also may be invitation to find a truck gun inside. My car has Avon and Tupperware stickers on the rear window to determine thieves.

 

[mjbskwim]

Getting too many ch bravado in this thread for me
Marines oye vey

 

[aksu747]

Personally I wouldn't want to advertise in anyway that I know anything about firearms.
If someone finds out I'm a gun owner it will be because they were on a need to know basis.

 

[U8395279]

I'm not sure how clear I was. Being secure is very important, and something I could improve in, but you don't what it to be noticeable that you have something to protect. Looking like Fort Knox might discourage some but not all. That's all I was trying to say.

So you are saying that having a fence, and a sign saying I have a burglar alarm, is actually inviting theft?

I live in a pretty low class neighborhood, near subsidized and low priced apartment complexes a few blocks away. The crime rate in our area is above average for our city.

I would say that nearly half the homes on my block have security doors on the outside of the front door. Same would be true for fences around the house. Neither is unusual where I live. Now maybe not everyone has their gate padlocked, or their fence boards screwed in. But one would actually have to come up to the fence and inspect it, in order to notice any of that.

You are being unrealistic in your outlook about this, in my viewpoint. My home does not look like Fort Knox. It is a small 1,050 sq ft very modest place, and is 22 years old. It was designed to offer cheap and affordable housing. It does not scream having anything valuable inside.

And there are 4 other homes on my street that have burglar alarm signs. And the two closest neighbors on my own block with signs that I have talked to both bought them after being burglarized.

I've actually gotten in some trouble with our police dept, over false alarms with my alarm system. I had a few accidents with it after I first got it that really upset some of my neighbors, and they complained.

All hell basically breaks out when my alarm goes off. Besides the standard siren that came with the unit, I bought additional extra power sirens. So I have a second siren inside that also goes off, as well as a third siren up on the roof of my home. And the whole system is wireless, so there is no easy way to disable it. My alarm basically wakes the dead on my block, it is so loud.

And you really don't seem to understand today's criminals. The overwhelming majority of burglaries are done by meth heads, looking for easy places to break into. Very few burglars can be considered to be professionals. And even those would pass on my house too. If they are going to risk breaking into a place with an alarm system, they are going to target a nice home in a rich neighborhood that has lots of valuables in it. Not a tiny modest looking place like mine.

The only valuables that I have are all locked up inside a massive safe. And I live in a city with a good police department. They respond very quickly. People who live outside of city limits in rural areas here in Lane County are the folks who burglars are mainly focusing on. For our local sheriff's office can take forever to respond. So even if a place has an alarm system, burglars know that they have enough time to still go through and ransack a home.

But that is not tat all rue where I live. Police would arrive in 3 or 4 minutes max. Plus the fact that my neighbors would probably see them too, having been alerted.

.

 

[ATCclears]

To build on the comments from @Lance Jacobs ...

I have two neighbors who are police officers. The message is the same - the meth heads or other serious addicts are after the next fix. Nothing else matters. You are NOT dealing with rational people, so don't expect rational behavior from them if you catch them burglarizing your home, automobile, or other.

My two neighbors see this on the job. Every. Single. Day.

Be safe.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Easy now, I've seen tattoos on women that are quite mesmerizing.

Especially when they shake it....

 

[Caveman Jim]

I don't like bumper stickers either, but sometimes I make an exception: I have a "LifeFlight" sticker and a "Veteran" sticker on my truck back bumper. And a "Dogs for the Deaf" window sticker.

My wife put a "I'll keep my guns, You keep the change" sticker on our Yukon but the rig crapped out and now we have a Toy-car (not a Prius) with a clean bumper. I hope to keep it that way.

Dude, they have hearing aid dogs??? I've got two dogs and they just give me stupid looks when I am talking to them..... They never tell me what anyone says either.....

 

[Libertas7]

So you are saying that having a fence, and a sign saying I have a burglar alarm, is actually inviting theft?

I live in a pretty low class neighborhood, near subsidized and low priced apartment complexes a few blocks away. The crime rate in our area is above average for our city.

I would say that nearly half the homes on my block have security doors on the outside of the front door. Same would be true for fences around the house. Neither is unusual where I live. Now maybe not everyone has their gate padlocked, or their fence boards screwed in. But one would actually have to come up to the fence and inspect it, in order to notice any of that.

You are being unrealistic in your outlook about this, in my viewpoint. My home does not look like Fort Knox. It is a small 1,050 sq ft very modest place, and is 22 years old. It was designed to offer cheap and affordable housing. It does not scream having anything valuable inside.

And there are 4 other homes on my street that have burglar alarm signs. And the two closest neighbors on my own block with signs that I have talked to both bought them after being burglarized.

I've actually gotten in some trouble with our police dept, over false alarms with my alarm system. I had a few accidents with it after I first got it that really upset some of my neighbors, and they complained.

All hell basically breaks out when my alarm goes off. Besides the standard siren that came with the unit, I bought additional extra power sirens. So I have a second siren inside that also goes off, as well as a third siren up on the roof of my home. And the whole system is wireless, so there is no easy way to disable it. My alarm basically wakes the dead on my block, it is so loud.

And you really don't seem to understand today's criminals. The overwhelming majority of burglaries are done by meth heads, looking for easy places to break into. Very few burglars can be considered to be professionals. And even those would pass on my house too. If they are going to risk breaking into a place with an alarm system, they are going to target a nice home in a rich neighborhood that has lots of valuables in it. Not a tiny modest looking place like mine.

The only valuables that I have are all locked up inside a massive safe. And I live in a city with a good police department. They respond very quickly. People who live outside of city limits in rural areas here in Lane County are the folks who burglars are mainly focusing on. For our local sheriff's office can take forever to respond. So even if a place has an alarm system, burglars know that they have enough time to still go through and ransack a home.

But that is not tat all rue where I live. Police would arrive in 3 or 4 minutes max. Plus the fact that my neighbors would probably see them too, having been alerted.

.

In your first post you said "tall secure fence", now if it goes all the way around the house that's not something I see all the time, and when I do it attracts attention. What you just described here sounds like you blend in, so that won't attract attention. Not the impression I first got, Sorry about the confusion.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I didn't even let Linex put a sticker on my truck.

U R A N A L........

 

[U8395279]

Police in Eugene reported this week a rash of 6 business burglaries in the southwest section of the city. All of the businesses had minimal security. None had a burglar alarm, and only one had video surveillance. Police say that the burglar was able to either easily break through a window, or was able to pry open doors that had cheap, substandard deadbolt locks on them.

This article has a lot of good, detailed info in it about home and business security:

Man, 26, accused of breaking into six Eugene businesses in less than a month; EPD cautions business owners, offers tips to prevent theft

.

 

[XManSV]

Some people are willing to take a risk in order to get the exposure of our beliefs to the public. Kudos to them.

 

[semperfi68to70]

I wanted to fit in, so these are the three stickers on my truck. I think I have probably avoided anyone following me to my house looking for firearms. I was going to put a Go Navy sticker on
it, but I do have some pride.

 

[ATCclears]

 

[XManSV]

I wanted to fit in, so these are the three stickers on my truck. I think I have probably avoided anyone following me to my house looking for firearms. I was going to put a Go Navy sticker on
it, but I do have some pride.
View attachment 336046 View attachment 336047 View attachment 336048

If I didn't know you were joking, I'd say your more likely to get burglarized with the pot sticker then with a gun sticker

 

[USMC-03]

View attachment 336046

You can't coexist with someone who wants to kill you; just saying...

 

[Ura-Ki]

 

[Certaindeaf]

Well, I used to have large collection of fine firearms, some of which I inherited from my Dad. Some older rare classic guns and some real high end sporting rifles and shotguns. That is partially why I did so much. But I sold off about 80% of my collection a few years ago. I now have a very modest collection that fits easily with room to spare inside a very secure safe. I also sold my second safe that I used to have.

There are lots of irresponsible gun owners who do not safeguard their homes, and make things real easy for burglars to get firearms illegally. They are part of the reason why so many criminals have access to firearms in our society. However, I am not one of them.

I do welcome any burglar to attempt to break into my home. I've spent so much money protecting my home, I would like to see it give me some return on my investment. My neighbors on one side is an elderly retired couple that is home most of the time. My other neighbor has a dog in his backyard, that barks whenever I go in my backyard.

Years ago one prowler did attempt to get into my backyard late at night while I was in bed. But he was foiled by the padlock on my gate. He made such a racket trying to break open the gate that he woke me up. When i finally got dressed and looked around outside, there was no one to be seen anywhere. That is what prompted me to get the security system. Most people are real stupid and don't buy a burglar alarm until AFTER they get burglarized. I decided to not wait for that to happen.

The vast majority of burglaries are committed by drug addicts, desperate for stuff to sell so they can get drugs. They are not sophisticated criminals. They are looking for homes that they can easily get in and out of. If a person has done nothing to toughen the security around their home, then they are pretty much inviting such people to their home.

Anyway, I think that the whole discussion here has been quite off-base and very much misdirected. What people here should be focusing on instead is making their home more difficult to break into.

I view this as being more an issue of choosing to do nothing, and risk being a victim, or proactively doing something, and choosing not to be a victim.

The choice is yours to make. I personally do not want any of my guns ever falling into the wrong hands. And I will do all that I can to prevent that from happening.
.

There used to be a TV show where a "professional" burglar would attempt to/would break into houses and steal everthang.. it was pretty neat and probably did a great service to many people.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I do agree with this but with one caveat, that it takes time money and experience to know how to burgler proof your home. The big one for many people is money. Assuming you have an unsecured home, do you spend your hard earned money on a gun first, or alarm system? Depending on what ones needs are and finances are it can be a while between "upgrades"... but yes ultimately they should be working in the right direction, securing their home not worrying about their NRA sticker so much.

There used to be a rash of high profile burglaries in Hollywood (I know, yuk).. celebrities facebooking their every move publicly and the ring of burglars would simply throw something big, hard and heavy through the biggest window and then fill up the waiting semi with the goods.
Invariably these people had set their alarm system but had shunted the problematic (for whatever reason) motion detectors. anyway

 

[Certaindeaf]

I'm not sure how clear I was. Being secure is very important, and something I could improve in, but you don't what it to be noticeable that you have something to protect. Looking like Fort Knox might discourage some but not all. That's all I was trying to say.

It really is a chess game.
I recall hearing where "gangs" would literally lay murderous siege on remote compounds where cell reception was nil.
there are some bad people in the world

SURVIVING IN ARGENTINA