Surviving A Violent  Home Invasion: Defensive Tactics

Evade: You should do your best to evade the intruder or intruders. Remember the safety and well being of your family comes first. If you return home and see it has been broken into, leave and call the police. If someone enters your home and you have an alternate way to leave without encountering them you should do so.

You need to develop a safety plan and a code word that will tell your entire family that its time to spring into action. Keep it simple ESCAPE works fine. Keep it straight to the point.

Designate a “safe room” in your home where everyone can go to at the same time. This room should have a piece of heavy furniture with which you can barricade the door. The door in this room should be solid wood or metal. The door hinge screws should be at least 2 1/2 inches long, as well as having a good locking system and dead bolt. There should only be one way in and out of this room. This will create a fatal funnel between you and the intruder if you have to respond with force. You should have a small glow stick that you can attach to your keys. When the police arrive you can attach the glow stick to the keys and toss them out the window. This way it will be easy for the police to find. Once you and your family are in the safe room do not leave the room for any reason. Do not attempt to go out and face the intruders.

Next to your bed you should always have a fully charged cell phone, your keys, and a flashlight. If you have a firearm it should be secured in a gun safe that only you know the combination to. That will keep any unauthorized users out.

Communicate: Once you and your family have moved to the safe room and secured it, communicate with the police. Tell them what has happened. Give them your name, address and phone number. Also let them know if you are armed. I suggest you keep a visible piece of paper with your information on it. At times the stress may upset and confuse you.

Do not hang up your phone if you are forced to respond to the threat. Just throw the phone on the ground and keep the line open for the police. Make sure you warn the intruder that you are armed and that you will shoot if they break the door down.

Stay in the safe room until the police arrive, no matter how long it takes.  You can’t be sure that the attackers aren’t waiting to take your family by force, to hold as hostages or cause harm. Stay in the room until the police have cleared the house and tell you to come out.