DFW Home Invasions

[wleeb]

First, KUDOS to whoever put this site up, great job!

In the past 5 weeks there have been 4 published home invasions in the DFW area.

Oct 28, 2008
Watauga Man Loses Arm After Fight With Robber

Oct 28, 2008
Arlington Resident Shoots & Kills Masked Intruder

Oct 16, 2008
Homeowner Shoots, Kills Man Inside His Townhome

Sept 22, 2008
Couple Kills Attacker During Home Invasion

Is it me or is the crap happening more frequently?

All I have right now is a Mossberg 12ga pump (better than the flower pot that last couple had to use). I am going to be buying a hand gun soon.

 

[TJ Willy]

First, KUDOS to whoever put this site up, great job!

In the past 5 weeks there have been 4 published home invasions in the DFW area.

Oct 28, 2008
Watauga Man Loses Arm After Fight With Robber

Oct 28, 2008
Arlington Resident Shoots & Kills Masked Intruder

Oct 16, 2008
Homeowner Shoots, Kills Man Inside His Townhome

Sept 22, 2008
Couple Kills Attacker During Home Invasion

Is it me or is the crap happening more frequently?

All I have right now is a Mossberg 12ga pump (better than the flower pot that last couple had to use). I am going to be buying a hand gun soon.

Thanks for posting that up. Arm up brother. It is YOUR right! for now.....

In the first article this concerns me:

"One neighbor heard the gunshot, but dismissed the noise because he did not suspect it would have been a gunshot in his neighborhood."

Maybe it is time to wake up the old neighborhood watch practices.... Get with our neighbors and discuss these things. Clear the air and maybe make friends with that guy across the street.

 

[JKTex]

Is it me or is the crap happening more frequently

It's you.

It happens all the time. It just doesn't always make the news. Each one of those have a sensational aspect. Something that will get people to pay attention like the bad guy getting popped or beat up. The basis, boring ones are the ones where people get the crap beat out of them, tied up, robbed etc. and then it's over.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

I look at it as a good thing that more of these attempted robbery / shootings are being reported. The more they get reported, I would assume robbers would start to think twice once they realize all of these fellow robbers keep F'in dying when attempting to do this crap.

 

[wleeb]

Thanks for posting that up. Arm up brother. It is YOUR right! for now.....

In the first article this concerns me:

"One neighbor heard the gunshot, but dismissed the noise because he did not suspect it would have been a gunshot in his neighborhood."

Maybe it is time to wake up the old neighborhood watch practices.... Get with our neighbors and discuss these things. Clear the air and maybe make friends with that guy across the street.

Thanks TJ, that is good advice. My neighborhood has been organizing after a recent rash of wheel thefts. A neighbor awoke 2 weeks ago to find his truck sitting on blocks this is after another neighbor 1 week earlier had the same experience.

My wife has always been concerned about a home invasion. When she would bring it up I would down play it too ease her fears. It just seems to me that criminal activity is on the rise, at least in my area and I am not going too wait around and become victim X.

Here is my plan of action, maybe someone can suggest if I am doing this right or add something I am not aware of to the mix. Still not sure if I should go for the CHL or not?

1. Buy a hand gun each for both wife and me.
2. Attend classes, may even go for the CHL?
3. Find local range and practice, practice, practice.

 

[JKTex]

This may get me flamed, whatever.

I think the first mistake, and what most people do, is think that buying a gun will reduce your chance of becoming a victim. A gun is a tool....just one tool in the tool box that is used as a last resort. Prevent or deter crime and you don't need all your tools. It's just good to have a well equipped tool box.

It's all in how you think about it, and there's more to it than shooting someone.

 

[wleeb]

Thanks JK, I see your point, I have been telling that to my wife for years and we have all the normal deterrents, security system, video cameras, well lit exterior, dog (only good for the barking part though). I realize that having a gun is not the end all but it would help me sleep a little better knowing not only that I have a gun but a plan of action in the event I needed to use it.

 

[juwaba98]

I'm comin' for ya JKTex!

Just kiddin'


You're right, simply having a gun is not the answer. There are many aspects to deterring crime and protecting yourself, family or property.

Sorry for the pic, I couldn't resist.

 

[kingofwylietx]

For deterring people at night, motion activated lights are very useful. They don't want to get lit up and seen.

For the daytime, alarm company stickers on windows and a small alarm company sign in your landscaping is helpful. We also keep the landscaping in front very neat and clean, so nobody can use it for cover/concealment while trying to get in a window.

I just want to make my house look more difficult to crack than my neighbors houses......these guys are not looking for a tough job.....they want easy money. In reality, I don't want my neighbors to be broken into.....but even more than that......I don't want to be burgled.

Using more 'tools' outside the home may keep you from having to use the 'tools' inside the home.

 

[txinvestigator]

Thanks TJ, that is good advice. My neighborhood has been organizing after a recent rash of wheel thefts. A neighbor awoke 2 weeks ago to find his truck sitting on blocks this is after another neighbor 1 week earlier had the same experience.

My wife has always been concerned about a home invasion. When she would bring it up I would down play it too ease her fears. It just seems to me that criminal activity is on the rise, at least in my area and I am not going too wait around and become victim X.

Here is my plan of action, maybe someone can suggest if I am doing this right or add something I am not aware of to the mix. Still not sure if I should go for the CHL or not?

1. Buy a hand gun each for both wife and me.
2. Attend classes, may even go for the CHL?
3. Find local range and practice, practice, practice.

Create immediate action plans that cover various aspects of being attacked during your day to day activities.

I wrote this in another forum about an incident at my house a couple of years ago.

The alarm was set to instant, the German shepherd was in the backyard, and we were all peacefully asleep when suddenly, the burglar alarm began to squeal. We have a plan for this, we have practiced the plan.

I grabbed the Kimber .45 and Surefire flashlight. My wife jumped up and went to the alarm keypad. As I put on my glasses, I told her to disarm the alarm.

I began down the hall to clear a path to my daughter’s bedroom upstairs. I noticed my wife following me down the hall and said to her; “no, like we practiced” She replied, “got it, ok, ok” then went into the bedroom and locked the door.

We have windows only on the front and rear of the house, so I quickly made a visual scan of the front windows, no apparent Point of Entry (POE). I made my way to the stairway, where I could see the den windows and the back door, but not the garage door. Again no apparent POE, and the dog was not barking.

Stairways are a tactical challenge, but I made my way to the top. I scanned across the playroom. There are 2 windows upstairs that are accessible from the roof without using a big ladder. One of those is my daughter's, and that window is alarmed.

I could see her bed from the top of the stairs. It was empty….She has been instructed in the case of an alarm to get into the closet and wait for Daddy or the police. I made a beeline for her room while covering the non-cleared areas of the upstairs. Once in her room I called for her and gave the pre-arranged password. She came out of the closet rubbing her eyes, complaining that it was to late to practice. She then saw the gun and asked what was going on.

I told her to stay with me, and we made it back to the bedroom. The phone rang while I was clearing the house, and I assumed it was the alarm company. I gave the password (the one that keeps her from shooting whoever comes thru the door) to my wife, and she let us in the bedroom. She was still on the phone with the alarm company. (not planned, but good thinking) She told the alarm company that all was well, and hung up.

We then turned on all of the lights and did a more thorough check. There was no indication or evidence of an attempted break-in. It had been raining, and there was no indication anyone had been outside near any window or door. Just a False Alarm.

Added later; I discovered that the phone line had gone dead due to a weather related issue. Our alarm activates if the phone line loses power, as it would if the line were cut.

We learned some lessons and modified our plan accordingly.

 

[wleeb]

Thanks txinvestigator. Very good detailed POA, just what I was looking for.

 

[wleeb]

BTW, my security system has voice annunciation that announces the zone violated e.g. "front door open", "phone line fault", "upstairs bedroom 1 window open", "garage side door open" along with the alarm.

 

[JKTex]

I'm comin' for ya JKTex!

Just kiddin'


You're right, simply having a gun is not the answer. There are many aspects to deterring crime and protecting yourself, family or property.

Sorry for the pic, I couldn't resist.

I'm saving that one!!!! I love it!