It’s always a scary thought that someone might break into your home whether you are there or not. So what should you do? Hopefully you already have an alarm and other security measures for your home. There are some things you can do if you are home and someone breaks in, and things you can do before and/or after an intruder breaks in.
You should have a plan set in place before anything happens. If you have children, go over the plan again and again and maybe even practice it a few times. This plan can be anything that you feel will keep your family safe. Perhaps you have a two story house and everyone sleeps upstairs, then you may decide you want a safe room that is big enough for everyone to fit in. A safe room can be anything from a closet, bathroom, bedroom, or any other room that you find will do. Make sure that the space you choose has secure locks, like a deadbolt, that only unlock from the inside. You can keep an electrical outlet with a cell phone charger so you can take your cell phone in with you and call the cops.
When you call the cops, tell them as much information as you can about the situation. Let them know how many people there are, if they are robbing you or are there for a different reason, if you think they have a weapon and what kind, and where you and your family are in the house. Keep the dispatcher on the line as long as possible so they can hear what all is going on. If the intruder doesn’t know where you are, don’t give away your position by saying you have called the police or have a weapon.
If you do have a weapon in case they find you, use it to escape and not with the intent of fatal harm. Before anything like this happens, check to see what your state finds acceptable in the event of an intruder as far as what you can do in self defense. Some states allow you to kill an intruder if you believe they are a threat to your life. Try to avoid any violent actions against the intruder as long as possible. You can try to convince them that you will cooperate with them if they don’t harm you. In most cases, it is within the first 30 seconds that the tone is set with an intruder. If you try to cooperate and stay as calm and peaceful as possible, they may choose not to be violent. If they do, do everything in your power to escape. Most states offer courses about how to properly mace or pepper spray in the event that someone attacks you or breaks in.
There are some things you can do to help prevent a break in. You can have someone install a security system that will alert the police if it goes off. Most intruders flee when they hear the alarm go off, and if not, the police should be there shortly. Set up motion sensor lights out side, this may spook them and prevent them from breaking in. You can also set up motion sensor cameras just in case they do break in, you can get them on film that will hopefully help police catch the intruder. Talk to your insurance company to see what they cover in the event of an intruder in your home. Also, look at the laws for your city and state to find out what rights you have to protect you, your family, and your home if an intruder breaks in.
