House broken into yesterday.. home defense help needed

[markem]

I love handguns, but not for home defense. Here's my "defense in depth" plan.

Solid alarm system for all exterior doors (including the one to the garage) and first floor windows. If you have a basement and someone can slide in through a window there, bar it or alarm it.

Timers. Lights on timers are cheap and easy way to convince the bad guys to go someplace else. I replaced the light switch for the outside lights with a timer that knows when sundown is and the lights automatically come on just before sundown and off in a +- 15 minute window around midnight. Cheap at home depot. I have several lights on timers in the house that add to the "I am now going to bed" effect by going out about the same time. When we are out of town, we put a timer on a floor lamp in the bedroom with multiple settings to mimic going in and out of the bedroom at night.

Aluminum baseball bat. I have a good sized house (around 3K sq ft) but the shot lines suck. It is far easier for me to get close with a bat and their hit legs or their head than it is to find a clear shot that doesn't risk harm to my family or neighbors. Yeah, I know, what about multiple robbers. Well, how do you know that the other one isn't armed and aiming at you?

Wireless/cellular phones within reach. It is amazing how fast most police departments will arrive if you state that you have an armed intruder in your house. Honestly, officer, the fact that they broke in made me believe that they were armed.

Escape plans. Just like for a fire, know how to get out of your house in case someone breaks in. Never defend your home to your last breath. Things aren't worth it. Never underestimate the convenience of having a big window and a small chair plus a blanket in a room furthest from the front door. Chair through window, blanket over any broken glass, climb to safety. If they came to steal things, they aren't going to chase you around the neighborhood.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by markem

I love handguns, but not for home defense. Here's my "defense in depth" plan.

Some good tips!

In MA, you are not allowed to defend yourself, so running away is all you can do. Even if a bad guy is harming your family, you do not have the right to stop them with force. Crazy, but that's the way it is here.

Personally, I'd rather go to jail then see harm done to my family, so I would not think twice about using force in my home.

There's a big court case in MA about a guy who was defending himself when a burglar tried to break into his pick up in his driveway. He went to see what was happening and subdued the armed burglar until police came. The DA is charging this guy with assault,etc... and will most likely go to prison while the armed burglar will get off with light sentence.

[elderboy02]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

...
In MA, you are not allowed to defend yourself, so running away is all you can do. Even if a bad guy is harming your family, you do not have the right to stop them with force. Crazy, but that's the way it is here.
...

Wow, that is absolutely crazy. Here in Ohio we have the Castle Doctrine If someone breaks into your house, they are fair game. I would hope that a burglar would think twice about breaking in, but meth heads don't think clearly.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

In MA, you are not allowed to defend yourself, so running away is all you can do. Even if a bad guy is harming your family, you do not have the right to stop them with force. Crazy, but that's the way it is here.

Personally, I'd rather go to jail then see harm done to my family, so I would not think twice about using force in my home.

This.

Better to be tried by twelve than to be carried by six.