Mace Pepper Gel

Here is a story about a man and his family who were victims of a home invasion. He got attacked by the home invaders and got hit in his forehead from a machete, of all things. You can watch the whole story HEREwith the short YouTube video.

There are two morals to the story. First, if at all possible, do not let the home invasions happen. And second if it does happen it is almost always a bad outcome from the violence involved.

The old expression “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is certainly applicable here.

The best way to prevent a home invasion in the first place is to always use your peephole in your front door. Find out who is there before you reflexively open your front door (like I do). It is a bad habit to get into. Once a home invader has an inch of a door opening he will force his way in. And trust me in 99% of the cases of a home invasion there is violence involved. You don’t want to be part of that.

If the home invaders do get in, make sure that you have some self defense products around the house in more than one location. In my opinion the best one to have around the house is Mace pepper gel. Then I would recommend having a stun gun. One of the smallest and most effective stun guns is the hot shot stun gun. That way if the bad guys do get in, at least you have a chance of defending yourself.

Even the best neighborhoods in the country cannot boast of a zero crime rate. Irrespective of the place you stay in, securing your home in order to keep criminals at bay is very important. Burglars today are smarter than ever before. Hence, you will have to ensure you stay a step ahead of them. Securing your home does not imply you have to shell out hundreds and thousands of dollars for the most advanced systems. You need to just keep a few safety tips in mind and you are well on your way to protecting yourself and your family.

The first tip is to ensure that you don’t compromise on the doors that lead into the house. Make sure the material used for these doors is sturdy and strong and does not easily break. Some people end up opting for fancy doors which are not made of strong materials, thus compromising on the safety of the family.

The windows of your house should also be securely locked when no one is at home. These are easy entry points too for burglars. Door and window alarms are recommended if you can work them into your budget.

Keeping your home safe and secure with an electronic watchdog may not be the best choice overall, but it could be a great addition when used in connection with other security devices.

How Electronic Watchdogs Work
For maximum use, an electronic watchdog must be plugged in to the electrical socket nearest to the points of entry in your home and which may be used by would-be thieves and trespassers. These devices have sensors that are able to scan not just doors or windows but walls as well. They work in a range of fifteen to twenty-five feet and, upon detecting any sign of movement, they’d emit a certain sound, depending on your configurations.

Barking
Electronic watchdogs will start barking the moment someone attempts to get closer to your home. The closer the intruder is, the louder the barking gets. The sounds are very much realistic and you could thwart many a burglar attempt by fooling them into thinking you’ve got guard dogs watching over your home.

Sirens
Electronic watchdogs are not only capable of emitting barking sounds. It’s also capable of imitating sirens, certainly a threatening sound for any wrongdoer. It depends on your configurations whether the device would emit barking or siren sounds upon sensing movement.

Other Sounds
Its motion-sensing function can also be used to alert you on the presence of welcomed visitors – expected or otherwise. They can program it to sound out the chiming of bells or maybe the soothing sounds of the rainforest as a guest approaches your house.

This would work extremely well if you want to be informed about incoming VIPs and you want to be on hand and greet them at the front door. Then again, if you’re holding a surprise party for a loved one, your electronic watchdog would let you know when it’s the right time to go lights off and hide.

Drawbacks of Using an Electronic Watchdog Alone
Electronic watchdogs are effective at deterring and thwarting attempts of burglary and trespassing at best, but they are not capable of protecting you outright.

Fooled Once, But Not Twice
Burglars may be fooled the first time around but if they decide to stake your house and realize you don’t own any pet, they may realize you’re simply using an electronic watchdog and make a second attempt at breaking into your home.

It’s Not a Self-Defense Weapon
Stubborn wrongdoers may still try to break into your home, never mind dogs barking, and then they’d realize you’ve no pets to speak of. When this happens, you’ll have to use other security devices or self-defense weapons to protect your loved ones at home.

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Securing your home is not just a luxury these days, what with all the cool gadgets available to make your home well-guarded and secure – it’s also a necessity.  Some burglaries not only involve property theft, they can also result to more dangerous and life-threatening physical attacks. To ensure effective home security measures, here are 10 factors to consider for your checklist:

Secure the doors and windows
Believe it or not, most thieves will go through your door if it’s the easiest way in. Secure your door and install double-locks and alarms.  It should be solid enough to offer resistance and protection.

The window is also a vulnerable point in your home and thus, should be included in your home security checklist.  Install locks on windows and secure them, especially if you normally leave them open for ventilation.

Don’t leave room for criminals to hide
Install light fixtures in areas of your home or yard where it’s usually dark. Keep these turned on whether or not there is someone at home.  Trim trees and shrubs so burglars won’t enjoy a hiding place. If they’re out in the open and vulnerable, they’re less likely to attack.

Don’t advertise
If you have valuables, don’t let other people know how much they cost and where you keep them.

Your home will always have its weakest point
Find out what this is and check if this can become a liability. The vulnerability of your home could be its location (far from the rest of the neighborhood), its structure (made of lightweight materials) or its design (doors and windows are made of glass or are vulnerable to entry by strangers).

Reinforce
If there is an area of your house that a burglar can use as entrance, reinforce this. Replace the material or improve its strength by adding tougher and harder materials.

Have an escape route
In case you can’t fight back, make sure you have an exit strategy.

Be ready with emergency numbers
Keep 911 or any other emergency number on your speed dial.  Have access to a working phone – landline or mobile.

Make sure you are the only one who’ll have access to any weapons in the house
Don’t let a burglar or a criminal get a hold of anything inside your house that he can use against you.  Weapons such as guns, knives and swords can put your life in jeopardy if you leave them in places where criminals can find them.  If there’s anyone who should have access to these weapons, it’s you or a trusted member of your family, no one else.

Keep an inventory of your valuables
Create a checklist of what you have and document it using pictures and receipts.  In case something does get lost, you could help authorities trace it later.

Think like a thief
If you want to know how well protected your home is, think as a thief would. You’d be surprised at what you’ll discover.

infrared motion detector with security alarm

If you’ve got great relations with your next door neighbor, the holidays are the best time to take advantage of them. While you’re out shopping or visiting friends and relatives, a little help from your friendly neighbors can go a long way in ensuring the security of your home.

Double Check Locks
If you are putting your home on temporary lockdown while you’re away, your neighbors can walk over from time to time and ascertain that every door and window is the way you left it: sealed tightly shut with no way in or out unless somebody intends to trespass.

Keep an Eye on Possible Intruders
All they need to do is twitch their curtains once in a while just to see if there are any suspicious individuals lurking around with the intentions of breaking-in. If they do spot some dubious characters in the proximity of your home, would they be so kind as to call the police and report said suspicious activity?

The Neighborhood Watch
Thanks to 911 and CSI, neighborhood watches are rarely put into action. A lot of people aren’t even aware of what they are. But if you want additional safety and security for your home while you’re away then you and your friends in the area can start your very own neighborhood watch.

Neighborhood watches divide people into several groups. Each group takes on a certain shift wherein they go around the neighborhood and using their presence to discourage any acts of crime. Neighborhood watches are not generally licensed to carry firearms but they can carry baseball bats if they want to and really, it’s all about how you wielding and not what you’re wielding, isn’t it?

Watch Out for Other Threats
When you mention the words “security” and “home” in one sentence, you usually think about external dangers like break-ins, robberies, and maybe occasional vandalism. Threats, however, can start from within as well and it would be nice if your neighbors can keep an eye on lights and any other electrical appliance that might have been accidentally left on too long or any object or situation that could start a fire.

Delegate
Last but not the least, if you’re expecting some visitors to come and go while you’re away, you could entrust the important responsibility of activating and deactivating the security system of your home.

Of course, remember that all these boil down to a watch-my-back-and-I’ll-watch-yours agreement. Your neighbors will be more eager to help you out if you can promise the same thing for them!

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Whether or not you live in a crime-infested neighborhood, you need to have a good home security surveillance system installed. This will ensure that you and your family are kept safe and secure at all times. But how do you really use home security surveillance without overdoing it and how can you maximize the tools that you already have? Here are things you need to know for fool-proof home security surveillance:

Choice of home security surveillance systems
If you aren’t careful about your choice of a home security surveillance system, you could end up spending more for gadgets you don’t really need. Before you buy, make sure you understand two things:

- how the gadgets work
- your security needs

Once you have an idea of what you truly require and what’s available, you’ll know exactly which home surveillance system will work for you.

Mind the zone
Find out the number of zones that a system has. In most cases, you’ll find that a single system is capable of covering multiple zones. These are areas in your home that you want to monitor and thus will require the installation of a camera or alarm. Make sure you get this information first before buying a home security surveillance system.

Sometimes, it’s all about the camera
Without a good camera, your home security surveillance system will just be an expensive piece of junk. The system relies on the camera to pick up and capture images. If the camera is of poor quality, the system may not offer you the kind of protection and security you need.

A good camera, on the other hand, will capture all the necessary details you will need later on to view a person or an incident in detail. When buying or choosing a home security surveillance system, keep this in mind.

24-hour monitoring?
You could choose a service offering to monitor your premises 24/7 or you could opt to have a service that lets your system call an authorized number only if the alarm is tripped. Consider the number and size of occupants in the house as well. Wandering pets, little children and even guests who like to go downstairs for a little snack could set off your alarm if you aren’t careful.

DIY or professionally installed?
That will really depend on how well you know the system, how it’s designed and how skilled you are. Although there are security surveillance systems that have been created to allow homeowners to perform the installations without professional help, you might consider asking a pro in case you have very little understanding of electronics. This will ensure that your system is installed correctly and safely and that it will truly work to protect you.

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With rising crime rates and failing economies everywhere, you may be expecting the worst out of your fellow men or women. You might be too afraid to get out of the house, too afraid to go out alone, and even too afraid to take a vacation that you deserve. However, there are still many things that you as a homeowner can do to keep yourself safe. For one, you can still take a vacation without worrying that your home will be burglarized while you are away.

First, you may need to have home security devices installed, such as alarms that will directly alert the police if someone has been espied walking into your home, or if the sensors have picked up activity inside your house while you are gone. This may be a great investment on your part, but it would be wise to part with your money if the rewards are great.

Second, lighting can play a great part in keeping your home secure. You may want to put timers on your lights so that you can have your house lighted at night. This way, your neighbors can still see if people are going into your house and if you are getting yourself some unwanted house guests. Lights are also a deterrent to crime. Another deterrent to crime is a home that does not appear to be empty. You may want to turn down the volume of your telephone, since a telephone that rings for a long while without being answered, and loudly, can be a signal that no one is in the house and it is available for burglarizing.

Third, always keep your keys and locks updated. If possible, change them every few months or years. Moreover, do not hide keys in certain places in your house. Burglars can be smart enough to look at the usual hiding places. You would do better to leave a spare key with a neighbor whom you trust, or you may take your keys with you if you are going to be away for only a short time. Furthermore, do not take anything for granted: lock all your doors and keep your windows bolted and fastened.

These are only a few tips that you may want to heed in terms of home security for your vacation. For more information on other methods that you may use in order to improve your home security, talk to a local law enforcement officer, and do as much research as you can on how you can improve the security of your home, whether or not you are going on vacation.

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