Home Invasions

[Hardball]

What are your options?

Here in Baltimore there have been a couple of instances were home invaders dressed up like cops.

[kingoftheforest]

I didn't know what a bump key is but I looked it up on google. A bump key is a master key that will open all locks made by the same company.

Home invasions are different from burglaries. Most home invasions involve forced entry by armed perps.

Actually a bump key is a specially designed key, home invaders are using. It does what hardball said.

Problem is if you search, these are becoming a thing in Europe.

If you're not home and someone uses a bump key to get in there is no sign of forced entry.

Insurance companies are refusing to fill claims in these situation saying people are trying to perform insurance fraud, because of the lack of evidence showing who entered and how.

It looks like someone had a key and got in.

Any time someone enters your home without permission it is an invasion of your personal space, and a violation of your rights.

What if someone used a bump key to bypass your deadbolt.

While the door jam HB mentioned earlier will stop this, a secondary of any kind even a chain or inner latch would help to stop this from working.


I knew a woman who kept a fire extinguisher next to her bed after her 2 neighbors were burglarized.

When two men attempted to invade her home she hosed them and the bashed one with the extinguisher, they both fled immediately.


911 was called and the en route officers picked up 2 guys covered in fire retardant foam.

[Hardball]

Burgulars Tool

I didn't know what a bump key is but I looked it up on google. A bump key is a master key that will open all locks made by the same company.

Home invasions are different from burglaries. Most home invasions involve forced entry by armed perps.

[kingoftheforest]

According to the local authorities HI's are up 24% in my area too.

Also in Florida they go up during the winter because a lot of homeless people start coming down here to avoid the cold.

I have an alarm system, security cameras, and deadbolts.

The problem with most deadbolts is they don't go far enough into the door frame to keep some one from kicking in the door and just splintering the jamb as well.

You have to make sure the deadbolt slides in quite a bit to work properly.

Anybody here know what a bump key is?

[Hardball]

Good Topic

Why don't you guys get on topic, home invasions are a big problem in Maryland too!

[kingoftheforest]

Really? Are we going to pretend to be offended by jokes about Irish people?

Oh, and don't make me bring up when you accused me of being gay, broski.

Try harder. It's a joke. I'm Irish American.

No amount of your bullshit is going to allow you to back out of this one.

That comment was unmeritted and uncalled for.

Some of my best friends are black right?

And if you are Irish American (which I think is just a cheap cop out) then you are a self hating bigoted piece of shit.

Back to ignoring you again.

[Tokyo Kid]

Usually I would ignore your ignorant remarks, but ethnic slurs?

Boy you really are just a bigoted, piece of shit aren't you?

Really? Are we going to pretend to be offended by jokes about Irish people?

Oh, and don't make me bring up when you accused me of being gay, broski.

Try harder. It's a joke. I'm Irish American.

[shaolin-warrior]

Thanks for the input guys, I'm home with the flu this week and working on some internal housekeeping, your input has helped immensely. All the things I've been wanting to address, but haven’t had the time.

[Hardball]

Most home invasions involve multiple armed assailants. I agree 100% with Tom Yum in regards to having a Shotgun. You have to increase your awareness level too. If you don't already have one get a security system. I use a manual door jammer also. The door jammer may not stop someone from breaking in but It will give me a couple of extra seconds to get to my weapon. Add a storm door to your house. Make it look like you are home when you are not and make it look like you are not home when you are. Get warnings signs for the outside of your property. I have several. One reads "self defense is not a crime" another one reads "never mind dog beware of owner"

And remember the Castle Law. A man's home is his castle, "If you must use force make it Excessive Force"

My personal philosophy is, once you come to my home there is nowhere for me to run.

[mellow]

Usually I would ignore your ignorant remarks, but ethnic slurs?

Boy you really are just a bigoted, piece of shit aren't you?

My sentiments exactly

[kingoftheforest]

Having a weapon available, get the training to use it effectively and the mindset to take action.

For example, a responsible citizen whose got a loaded shotgun, the skill/experience to use it and the mindset to kill or be killed is going to make life difficult for a home invader or even several home invaders.

Same with a bladed weapon. Since conflicts of home invasion will likely take place in distances less than 30 feet, a determined individual with a blade can strike a holstered armed individual. Add blade training and it improves the home owner's chance of surviving.

How about when the home owner isn't home? Door and window locks can be picked, but you don't have to have training to do that - they can just pick up a heavy object like a flower pot or brick nearby and use it to break a window.

Good stuff Tom.

[kingoftheforest]

I put up a HELP WANTED sign to keep out the Irish.

Usually I would ignore your ignorant remarks, but ethnic slurs?

Boy you really are just a bigoted, piece of shit aren't you?

[Tokyo Kid]

I put up a HELP WANTED sign to keep out the Irish.

[Tom Yum]

Having a weapon available, get the training to use it effectively and the mindset to take action.

For example, a responsible citizen whose got a loaded shotgun, the skill/experience to use it and the mindset to kill or be killed is going to make life difficult for a home invader or even several home invaders.

Same with a bladed weapon. Since some conflicts of home invasion will likely take place in distances less than 30 feet, a determined and untrained individual with a blade can strike a holstered armed individual. Add blade training and it improves the home owner's chance of winning.

How about when the home owner isn't home? Door and window locks can be picked, but you don't have to have training to do that - they can just pick up a heavy object like a flower pot or brick nearby and use it to break a window. Doing a passive security assesment on your place would be a good idea.

[shaolin-warrior]

As of late, home invasions in my community are on the rise, I'm addressing the issue in my schools monthly news letter and was looking for some input. What are some common sense things that can be done to prevent a home invasion? I appreciate the diversity of ideas and opinions here on defend.net, how lucky we are to have a troll free zone to share and debate our opinions with each other.
Thanks,
Brian