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Opinion Sep 17, 2021
Photo by Gwendal Cottin on Unsplash
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With the rise in local burglaries, it’s only fitting that your friendly neighborhood self-defense instructor writes something to help you increase your situational awareness while improving the protection of your family and home. The ideas discussed in this article are by no means “bible” but are just ideas to get you thinking about burglary prevention.
So how attractive is your home to burglars? Did you know that at any hour of the day, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., criminals may be casing your home? I know, it is pretty scary to consider, but do you ever think about that? You may be asking, “What in the world is casing?” Or better yet, “How can a homeowner prepare for it?”
Casing is a tactic burglars use to decide which home requires the least amount of work to break into without getting caught. For example, an experienced burglar will always know who occupies your home, and when they’re most likely there. They also study your home’s design. Knowing what circumstances are the most ideal for successful burglaries to take place makes it much easier for you to design a home exterior criminals don’t want to deal with.
My approach to home defense strategies is called the “Circles of Influence” and was inspired by law enforcement’s “Use of Force Continuum.” I have been a firearms student as well as a self-defense student/instructor for over 30 years. While collecting multiple black belts, much of my training involved many discussions regarding law, security, situational awareness and various home defense approaches. The circles of influence are layers of threat deterrents which make your home a less desirable target for thieves. If breaking into your home requires long and difficult efforts getting through each defensive layer, burglars have a greater chance of failing or even better, getting caught. You want to make a burglar anticipate these difficulties.
During this four-part series, I look forward to starting some lifesaving conversations regarding this subject.
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