How do you go about designing your home defense strategy for your house or place of residence? Firearm placement(IA), safe spots for hiding, alarms, cameras, points of entry/exit etc?
I have no kids and live by myself so I just lay AR next to my bed. If someone breaks in I call the cops and stay in my room with the AR trained the door till the cops show up. Nothing in my house is worth dying over.
This is what my wife and I have planned/trained. We have a “door defender” style lock that can be easily flipped with gross motor skills and can barricade in the room if needed.
After a concerning incident and threat, I decided to approach home security from the perspective of a potential burglar or intruder. I walked around the house, imagining myself locked out while one of my kids was inside, screaming for help. Though it might seem silly, this mindset helped me think like a criminal, focusing solely on getting inside without worrying about the damage.
I mentally assessed each potential entry point, considering scenarios like picking up a decorative rock from the garden, smashing the French door, and reaching in to unlock it. I noted all the vulnerabilities in a notebook, ranked them by likelihood, and began addressing each one. This process was similar to sealing off entry points for pests, as I see burglars as a different kind of vermin—upright and tool-using.
By the end of the exercise, I had installed new gates, reinforced all doors and windows with steel frames, added decorative steel security gates to certain doors, and replaced the French doors with a solid steel security door. I also added burglar bars to all windows, modified the garage opener to block access to the release cord, and upgraded some small decorative windows with thick plexiglass. During this time, I became interested in lockpicking and realized my front door was too easy to open, so I upgraded all locks to more secure, “unpickable” ones.
I couldn’t do much about the landscaping since that takes time, but I did install motion-sensing lights at key areas to cover the entire house. I also set up cameras—some Wi-Fi enabled, others CCTV with no internet access. Additionally, I added harmless but deceptive features, like a realtor’s lockbox on the back door containing a useless key, to slow intruders down.
My overall approach is to waste as much of their time as possible while ensuring their efforts lead nowhere. I follow the strategy: “Delay, Deceive, Deter, Deflect, and Defend.” This gives me time to call the authorities, escape, or, if necessary, prepare for armed self-defense.
As for weapons, being a Texan who hunts and practices target shooting, I see guns as just another tool—like a fire extinguisher, something to use only as a last resort if I can’t escape. After consulting with an attorney about the legal ramifications of self-defense, I learned that even in a justified situation, it can be costly and time-consuming, involving legal fees and possibly court time. He made a memorable point: “No matter how bad the criminal is, they’ve got a mother somewhere who thinks they’re an angel, and she’ll find a lawyer to come after you.” This reinforced my commitment to avoiding confrontation. My goal is to make intruders give up and move on.
I know “unpickable” is a relative term, but better locks are far more difficult to breach.
Had to read this twice. Very informative.
Thank you.
my residence is secured to a point where it requires large breaching tools to break in. security glass. invisible smart lock and mechanical lock for steel door. The strat is to make the house hardy enough to buy me time to call cops, get to the gun room and load my shotgun. Here in canada, it’s illegal to shoot home invaders unless they have a weapon and your life is in danger. Anyone that’s capable of breaking in will have to use some kind of tool, like an axe, which can be considered a melee weapon. Then that would theoretically give me the legal ok to shoot him. But very unlikely they’ll be able to breach the door or window quickly in the first place (even with an axe).
There are some good ideas here already in response to your question; but if you’re looking for a general process in terms of design here is something I’ve found to be useful:
Think of your home self defense as a collection of concentric circles of individual zones. For example, anything outside my property is the biggest zone, on my property but outside my fence is the next zone, inside my fence line but not at an entry point (door/window) is the next zone, inside the house is another zone, and inside my bedroom another, etc. You figure out what zones make the most sense for you - as many or as little as you want.
For each zone answer 2 questions around awareness/alert and action. For example, outside my property I don’t need any alert but my awareness of what’s there should be covered by a video camera. The action I want is passive video recording and the ability to view live what’s on each camera. If an intruder is in my 3rd zone, inside my fence line but not at a point of entry (door/window) I want an active alert and constant awareness from a security camera and outdoor lights turned on. My action may be to account for all household members and prepping myself for an escalation and a call to 911. Etc.
I think this process is customizable for each person’s situation and can be used in different scenarios - for example your alerts, awareness, and actions may differ in each zone if you are at home or not. You can also use this same approach when you’re not at home, for example when you’re on a hunting trip, over landing with the family, on a business trip, etc.
go to the edge of your property and survey the terrain leading to the property >> a plan starts there - might not be able to do any changes until it hits your property line - but - defense starts with IDing the weaknesses …
- Identify who is most likely to target you and why.
- Consider plans for when the house is occupied versus unoccupied.
- Determine your budget.
- Assess how much time you’ll need for help to arrive.
While many factors can be considered, your willingness to invest money in security often becomes the most significant factor.
For an unoccupied home, a monitored alarm system is effective as it alerts the police, which is the quickest way to get intruders to leave or be apprehended.
If you are home, the “why” can influence your decisions. If you run a cash-rich business or own valuable items, you may be more likely to be targeted for a home invasion. Knowing this can help you take preventative measures.
Time is crucial—it allows for more options and responses.
- A driveway chime gives you time to prepare and respond.
- A panic button on your alarm should trigger an external siren and notify the police.
- Security screen doors can slow down attacks on the main door.
- Reinforce main doors and avoid setups where glass can be broken and hands can reach inside.
You should have a plan to retreat to a secure area with a strong lockable door. Consider setups that allow you to escape through back doors, garage doors, or windows. If your alarm has a remote, keep it in the same room or a hidden spot with a phone.
Landlines automatically provide your address when dialing 911, so even if you only whisper “help,” you’re covered. If you dial but don’t speak, the operator will listen, eventually hang up, and call back to check if it was accidental—ensure your ringer is off to avoid giving away your hiding spot. Cell phones may provide a location but not always your address.
In some cases, escaping to a neighbor’s house might be the safest option. There have been instances where individuals were held during home invasions and were later killed. Having one person escape to alert neighbors could have saved lives. An audible alarm will put pressure on the intruders as they await police arrival. If you’re in a locked closet with a full-length mirror on the door and your firearm, you should be well-protected.