The Bite – July 2013
Protecting Those You Love Securing Your Home By Mark “Six” James Recently I viewed a very graphic video of a home invasion caught on the homeowner’s nanny cam. It showed a professional predator violently victimizing an innocent women in front of her three year old child. I pray both the women and her child have a speedy recovery and are able to put the incident behind them as soon as practically possible. I would encourage her to take the time to seek psychological counseling for both herself and her daughter if required as well as the appropriate medical assistance as may be needed. When an incident occurs, I never try to second guess the participants and their actions. The mere fact that the woman is alive says she did what was right for her at that critical moment. One of the traditional concepts you often hear when it comes to home defense is the concept of hardening the residence. In my humble opinion before you can ever think about the concept of hardening the residence you must first understand today’s professional predator.
The Bite – “Protecting Those You Love”
Unlike the cat burglars of days gone by who’s primarily objective was cash and dash and avoiding a confrontation at all cost, today’s professional predator actually looks forward to the meeting. Experience has taught them, if I wait until the occupants are home, there is a greater likelihood of increased valuables. No need to have to defeat the cars alarm system, I will just secure the keys. The diamond ring, the Rolex watch, the credit cards and ATM card are no longer inconveniently at work. Those and other valuables are now readily available. Compliance is easy, because the things you love and most covet are right here with you. Today’s predator relies on five critical factors for success: • • • • •
Motivation Opportunity Lack of capable guardians Speed and Shock and Awe
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The Bite – July 2013
Motivation Individuals who have the willingness and ability to create violent criminal acts. This may be the result of predatory instincts, criminal competence, natural talent or acquired proficiency.
Opportunity They often target victims or households that are easy, most often unsecured or predictable. This may be individuals perceived as high value, high visibility, or accessibility. Do you often leave the front door unlocked or the garage door up during the day or at night. Do you repeatedly park your car in the same spot at work. Do you leave for work and return from work at the same time everyday. Do you often take the same route to or from work. What intel did you provide to your recent home service provider about your capabilities or domestic situation? Unfortunately many service providers have been known to pass information onto accomplices or are actual predators themselves. Lack of Capable Guardians Limited or no ability to deter an assault, deny access to the dwelling or its inhabitants, detect a threat or delay the approach or attack. Capable guardians may be trained family members, friends, security officers or K-9s. Speed Once inside the perimeter, in most residential dwellings seven (7) adult steps puts you deep inside most families residences. Three (3) steps puts you deep into the middle of most rooms (family room or bedroom). Since most families don’t have personal home defense plans, predators rely on the lack of coordinated counter resistance and the speed of the sequence of events to overtake the homeowners. Since most grown men, can close 21 feet or 7 yards in 1.5 seconds response time is at a premium.
The Bite – “Protecting Those You Love”
Shock and Awe Predators often employ shock and awe in the form of extreme violence designed to gain immediate compliance, control and make one fearful of reporting them. This violence or the threat of violence may be targeted toward an adult family member, adolescence or young child. Until a person understands the mind of a predator they will never have an appropriate sense of urgency or level of focused aggression they must be prepared to employ themselves. Home defense is like dressing in the winter best done in layers. Often the more layers you have in place the less you are impacted by the elements. When it comes to home defense I separate the plan into four distinct components: • • • •
Perimeter Barriers Building Exterior Building Interior Tactical Plan
The Perimeter Barrier is the fist line of defense it should be designed with the intent of deterring those who might consider entering the property uninvited. Typically fences, shrubs and lighting are examples of perimeter barriers. Who says security can’t be astatically pleasing. Rose or holly bushes make great exterior scrubs. While very pleasing to the eye, their thorns are often enough to repel many unwelcome quests from trying to enter particularly through windows. Remember perimeter defenses often only delay intrusion they don’t guarantee prevention of intrusion. However in many cases delay is good as criminals don’t like to work, and will often seek easier targets. Perimeter defenses should funnel people toward controlled access points and away from undesired access. Visibility of the protected dwelling should not be significantly reduced. Please make sure any fences meet your local building codes, laws or homeowners 2 covenants.
The Bite – July 2013
Building Exteriors Door frames should be constructed of heavy materials and be well braced. Hinges should not be exposed, if they are they should be spot welded or pinned. Doors should be made of solid construction. Overhead garage doors should be secured by pinning the roller track or the bar such that if protrudes into the rail. Hurricane Resistant Storm Doors Do more than just hold up to a hurricane, they are designed to resist a predator from kicking in your door. Many feature permanently fixed laminated safety glass that will not shatter. 3-point locking systems, rekeyable deadbolts, and deadbolt anchors into door frame.
External Signage External signage whether it be the alarm monitoring company or a beware of dog sign all serve as additional forms of deterrents. Beware of Dog signs have proven to reduce trespassing even in the absence of a homeowner having a K-9 or not.
Also with the appropriate layers and/or tools you still need the appropriate dwelling specific tactical training to prevail within your specific home. Windows Windows are typically a very popular entry point for criminals. Any window below 18 feet above the ground should be considered a potentially easy access point. Below are some important considerations for securing windows: Double Hung – pin the corners, add other secondary locking devices. Jalousie – individual panes should be glued into the frame. Casement – slack should be taken up in the control arm. Doors should be made of solid construction and the crank handles should be removed.
Building Interiors Internal controls are the internal countermeasures used to enhance the protection of the respective dwelling, inhabitants, or contents. Below are some of the more common internal countermeasures: Biometric access controls, CCTV, fire and theft rated safes, glass break alarms, intercom systems, intrusion detection devices, interior lighting key access controls, deadbolt locks, peep holes, privacy curtains, safe rooms etc. Intrusion Detection Systems
Lights keep your exterior well lit and create no hide zones. Criminals are like roaches they don’t like light.
Roofs Roofs have also become popular entry points. However new construction is often protected by severe pitches. Roofs with limited pitches should be reinforced or protected with intrusion alarms.
The Bite – “Protecting Those You Love”
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The Bite – July 2013
Are designed to detect unauthorized entry into your home. They may serve as a deterrent, helping reduce property damage, as well as personal protection against intruders by providing the resident early warning assistance they may provide you additional time to activate your home defense plan.
Some alarm systems serve a single purpose of burglary protection; combination systems provide both fire and intrusion protection. Intrusion alarm systems may also be combined with closed-circuit television surveillance systems to automatically record the activities of intruders, and may interface to access control systems to electrically locked doors. This may aid in locking an intruder in a particular part of the home or denying access to other parts of the home.
Dead-bolt locks should be a minimum staple of all basic assess control strategies. Double sided keyed deadbolts are far better than the common key-in-knob variety locks. Particularly where you have exposed glass windows or door treatments. In addition to high quality deadbolt locks you should also replace the strike plates. Most locks significantly enhance their performance with the installation of high performance strike plates which often retail for as little as $10. Some of the best performing locks against a cordless drill (tool used by many predators) in a recent consumer report test were the Assa and Medeco models, which have hardened cylinders across the product line. While the drill ruined the locks they still denied access.
Closed-circuit surveillance systems provide you visual assistance which may help you understand how many predators are trying to breach the home, identify their whereabouts or find out if they are actually inside of the perimeter or dwelling itself. It is highly recommended that cameras be installed on both the exterior and interior of the home. Locks
The Bite – “Protecting Those You Love”
New technologies While the traditional reinforced deadbolts have a history of proven reliability some consumers desire the aesthetics and features of the modern Bio-Metric locks which many may open by fingerprint, passcode, or key. Many can be rekeyed for temporary access to guests and contractors and then rekeyed again, when access is no longer needed, without having to change the lock or call a locksmith. This is critically important as many robbers have been known to masquerade as contractors.
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The Bite – July 2013
The K-9 The K-9 can provide early warning alarms, be utilized as an audible and/or physical deterrent and can provide your family much needed reaction time in the event of an actual breach. They can be a great first or second lines of defense particularly for those who may have an aversion to firearms. The K-9 companion remains one of the few protection tools which can’t be used against your family. The Tactical Plan The tactical plan must be simple, efficient and deployable within seconds. With multiple family members one may be tasked with calling 911 and getting help on the way. Others may be responsible for securing their bedroom doors and creating barricades. While another may be responsible for taking up a position to defend. In a multi-level home, where all of the bedrooms are upstairs the plan can be as simple as securing the top of the stairs while the other family members move to secure rooms or portions of their existing room away from the potential line of fire. Holding Your Position There are many ways to defend a home. While the situation should always dictate the tactics, holding your position is often the most common and preferred home defense scenario. Despite the initial anxiety, time and the element of surprise is on your side. Since most firearms yours and the home invaders will compromise the structural integrity of most dwellings you must factor that into your defensive plans.
The Bite – “Protecting Those You Love”
It is your house and you have a plan. You have no immediate need to engage your adversary and no reason to search for them; you actually let them come to you.
Whether you are a SWAT team member, Navy SEAL or average law abiding citizen holding your position or securing your dwelling comes down to two critical tactics: 1. Creating Angles and Layers 2. Creating a Choke-point or Funnel Creating angles and layers. Angles take you out of the immediate line of sight of the adversary and help reduce your bodily exposure; and the layers at minimum provide concealment, but we prefer layers which can provide cover thus reducing the ballistic effects of the home invader's weapon should an engagement occur. Creating a Choke-point or funnel. You have established a position of strength or situational advantage, and have effectively made use of cover or concealment. 5
The Bite – July 2013
You have eliminated alternate means of the adversary approaching you, by creating a single pathway in which they must negotiate in order to attempt to harm you or your family. You point your muzzle at the predetermined approach area and wait to ambush your adversary. Choosing to warn or not warn your adversary; may be dependent on the tactical situation, your defensive capabilities and/or legal considerations.
The Bite – “Protecting Those You Love”
For additional safety tips visit www.pantherprotectionservices.com or you may purchase Defensive Shotgun at www.amazon.com. Mark “Six” James is Founder and Executive Director of Panther Protection Services, LLC, and an internationally published author. Panther Protection Services is a full service protection agency focusing on Risk and Crisis Mitigation, Executive Protection, SelfDefense Training, and Firearm Instruction.
For protective services, firearms or self-defense training contact info@pantherprotectionservices.com
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