In the movie Robocop an advert in the film had a car thief getting electrocuted when he tried to steal a car. Everyone cheered and thought that’s what we really want. Something to teach thieves that whats our is ours. Since then of course we have discovered that the biggest thieves are our own government and there really is no hope of any justice in this country.
Even back then though I was always a bit of a thinker and I remember thinking about the number of times I have sat in my car and the alarm went off. Not a problem when you can just curse and then unset the alarm but more of a problem when you are being electrocuted while you attempt to do so.
So as you can probably guess I’m very much against automated systems for many defensive or most offensive actions. I don’t believe that you should set traps on your doors or inside your house that can incapacitate or kill you because most of the time it will be you or yours that get the sharp end of the stick. People you expect come into your property many many more times than a burglar. In fact most places have never been visited by burglars but I’m sure we all know people who set off their own alarms all the time. I have two homes around here who have done it for years.
Not that there is not a place for defensive tools in your home but you need to be very careful where you put them. Don’t, as one person suggested, put crossbows at the top of the stairs to stop burglars. Just imagine you feel ill in the middle of the night and need to go downstairs feeling unwell or that a fire happens and you need to rush downstairs. Even worse of course is if you need help and someone comes to help you. Nope automated systems are a bad way to go.
The only way I would use automated systems, (non lethal he says covering his bottom), is in an area where you won’t be coming from and rarely need to go through. For example to provide protection on windows or doors which you never come in without going out first. You disable the protection and go out, do what you want and come back in and then re-enable the protection. You should also be able to ensure that when it is deactivated that it gives a visual and audio warning. So when you come back you don’t find someone has switched it back on. Of course all this is hypothetical because I don’t know anywhere where you are allowed to set traps in your own home. It interferes with Plod.
It’s much better to actually make sure all the doors and windows are covered by sheet metal to stop people getting in than setting traps all over the place. Most people don’t want that of course, they want to fit in. Set CCTV to cover the spots where the intrusion is likely to come from and make sure that the alarms are set by default. Draw a plan of the entire area and then attack it from all sides, put protection in place to cover each area, concentrating on the weak points like doors and windows. Put cameras in place to cover all the approach points and feed the signals into a secure area where they can be recorded. Have the alarm system send SMS messages to your security company and yourself. There are many tools you can use, microwaves, IR, pressure mats and all have their uses.
Never forget though that a determined intruder will get anywhere they want. No system is perfect. So all you can do is try and make it so difficult for them that it isn’t worth it. Being worth it of course means what they get away with. Your jewel collection, your latest TV or a tin of beans in a Katrina situation.
Technology nowadays means you can do all this from home without seeing an expert. It also means that you could spend all that money and leave holes in the system to be exploited so you need to be careful.
Much better to get a suppressed Glock and keep it by the bed where you legally can of course. The suppressor is so that you don’t frighten the neighbours. You can check the locks and windows, go back to bed and sort it out in the morning.
Offensive systems
In the movie Robocop an advert in the film had a car thief getting electrocuted when he tried to steal a car. Everyone cheered and thought that’s what we really want. Something to teach thieves that whats our is ours. Since then of course we have discovered that the biggest thieves are our own government and there really is no hope of any justice in this country.
Even back then though I was always a bit of a thinker and I remember thinking about the number of times I have sat in my car and the alarm went off. Not a problem when you can just curse and then unset the alarm but more of a problem when you are being electrocuted while you attempt to do so.
So as you can probably guess I’m very much against automated systems for many defensive or most offensive actions. I don’t believe that you should set traps on your doors or inside your house that can incapacitate or kill you because most of the time it will be you or yours that get the sharp end of the stick. People you expect come into your property many many more times than a burglar. In fact most places have never been visited by burglars but I’m sure we all know people who set off their own alarms all the time. I have two homes around here who have done it for years.
Not that there is not a place for defensive tools in your home but you need to be very careful where you put them. Don’t, as one person suggested, put crossbows at the top of the stairs to stop burglars. Just imagine you feel ill in the middle of the night and need to go downstairs feeling unwell or that a fire happens and you need to rush downstairs. Even worse of course is if you need help and someone comes to help you. Nope automated systems are a bad way to go.
The only way I would use automated systems, (non lethal he says covering his bottom), is in an area where you won’t be coming from and rarely need to go through. For example to provide protection on windows or doors which you never come in without going out first. You disable the protection and go out, do what you want and come back in and then re-enable the protection. You should also be able to ensure that when it is deactivated that it gives a visual and audio warning. So when you come back you don’t find someone has switched it back on. Of course all this is hypothetical because I don’t know anywhere where you are allowed to set traps in your own home. It interferes with Plod.
It’s much better to actually make sure all the doors and windows are covered by sheet metal to stop people getting in than setting traps all over the place. Most people don’t want that of course, they want to fit in. Set CCTV to cover the spots where the intrusion is likely to come from and make sure that the alarms are set by default. Draw a plan of the entire area and then attack it from all sides, put protection in place to cover each area, concentrating on the weak points like doors and windows. Put cameras in place to cover all the approach points and feed the signals into a secure area where they can be recorded. Have the alarm system send SMS messages to your security company and yourself. There are many tools you can use, microwaves, IR, pressure mats and all have their uses.
Never forget though that a determined intruder will get anywhere they want. No system is perfect. So all you can do is try and make it so difficult for them that it isn’t worth it. Being worth it of course means what they get away with. Your jewel collection, your latest TV or a tin of beans in a Katrina situation.
Technology nowadays means you can do all this from home without seeing an expert. It also means that you could spend all that money and leave holes in the system to be exploited so you need to be careful.
Much better to get a suppressed Glock and keep it by the bed where you legally can of course. The suppressor is so that you don’t frighten the neighbours. You can check the locks and windows, go back to bed and sort it out in the morning.