This is a guest post by Mark
Despite a plethora of options for preventing burglaries and apartment break-ins, the U.S. Justice Department still estimates that an American home is broken-into every 15 seconds, averaging in thousands of dollars lost per household as a result.
But beyond the fear of losing valuable possessions, what can be most damaging is a loss of personal safety. Below are five important tips for effectively barricading yourself in your apartment during an attack.
1. Start a blockade with the heaviest object available. Scan your bedroom environment for the object with the most weight (preferably a robust chair or bed) you believe you can move fairly quickly. Be conscious of your time as you rush to pick the most appropriate object, and know better than to attempt to immediately escape through a window upon locking yourself in a room– fleeing sends a message of defeat and invites burglars back to your apartment for future invasions.
2. Stack, stack, stack. A twin-sized bed and an office chair can only be so effective in creating a barricade. Don’t be afraid to stack in front of your doorway like you’re playing a game of Tetris – shove a towel or blanket under the doorway’s threshold, and strategically stack your bed, chair, desk, and more on top of one another until you feel satisfied with the strength of the barricade. Not every bedroom contains the same set of objects, but an effective combination of common sense and adrenaline should give you an idea of how to organize your barricade.
3. Eliminate intruder access to potential weapons. If you happen to recognize someone is in your home before they’re aware of it, swiftly nab any items in the household that could be used to bolster your sense of protection in your barricade as well as prevent your attacker from morphing from a common-fare burglar to a possible murderer. Grab any guns contained in your nightstand, threatening knives located on the countertop, or tools lying aimlessly about the home. These not only help prevent a serious confrontation, but give you a means of protection if your barricade is destroyed.
4. Prepare your windows for a quick escape. Though your barricade is meant to keep you safe, there still remains the possibility of needing to escape to the streets if your attacker breaks through the door. Be proactive by opening a window in your bedroom, being sure to monitor what is happening outside in the event that the attacker has an accomplice. Consider preparing for an attack by investing in bars (or plywood) for your window, which though they may prevent you from escaping your apartment, they will also make burglar entry into your barricade incredibly difficult.
5. Use sturdy, durable objects to create a “second wave.” It’s not enough to just barricade your doorway; find a bookshelf to hide behind or create your own makeshift “fortress” to cover yourself from gun-fire if your attacker manages to break into your room. Despite common belief, walls and couches do not protect you from the strength of a fired bullet.
Aside from these tips, of course, be sure to call law enforcement as quickly as you are able to, and to alert neighbors for assistance if at all possible.
Author Bio: This article is a contribution by Mark on behalf of ConnectYourHome, an authorized retailer of an assortment of home services including home phone, home security, satellite TV, cable television providers, and many more! Dish Network packages are also available including the new Dish Network Hopper dvr.
True home invasions are extremely rare. They do happen and should not be discounted, especially if the bottom falls out. In the vast majority of cases, home invasions are drug related. The ones that aren’t drug related typically involve the resident having something the burglars want (jewelry or gold dealer, etc) that is only accessible if the resident is home.
There are the random ones such as the person wanting to rape or murder the resident. Again, those are extremely rare. Most common burglars do not want the resident home, which is why most burglaries occur during the day when people are at work (10a-2p is prime burglary time).
Fortunately this is true- home invasions are not as common as burglaries, however we hear about them happening in the city from time to time. In one neighborhood not too long ago, a couple of women with a small child were knocking on doors to get sympathy from the elderly resident to open the door. As soon as the door is opened, an armed cohort pounces and robs the resident. Thanks for the comment.