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  1. #1
    Ridill
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    Attempted Apartment Break-In Help

    Well, 33 years into my life and I experience my first attempted break-in.

    Two men attempted to break into my apartment last night around 1am. My girlfriend woke me up saying she heard noises outside our door, up on the 3rd floor of a gated higher-end community. We both kind of waved it off in a early morning haze of just waking up, but she jolted up around 10 mins later saying someone was trying to get into our front door.

    I get up and walk to the front door, and see one of them facing our door but standing a ways back acting as a lookout while I see and hear another one trying to fiddle with our door handle. The handle itself doesn't lock, but there are two deadbolts fastened. I give them a few moments until it becomes clear that they're not simply at the wrong door and their key isn't working - because they're trying to force the handle off the door. I give the door a good bang and they bolt.

    I called our courtesy officer and the local police, giving them description of the lookout I was able to see clearly and a general description the #2, but of course my girlfriend and I are both a little shaken at the attempted violation of security in our home.

    Few questions:

    Would one or two deadbolts generally stop someone trying to finesse their way in short of kicking the door down? Only one deadbolt would obviously be locked when we're not home, and I generally have always kept all locks up when I am home. Knowing their only recourse if we're not there is to attempt to force the door in brings me a little more at ease, if not for the internet sensationalizing key bumping.

    For securing electronic valuables (TV's, game consoles, computers, etc) are there economical options I can at least fit my PS4/Switch with or to make sure my TV's are a bitch to unmount?

    I've heard decent things about SimpliSafe and similar home security systems that tie into your phone to report if a camera senses movement, doors opening, etc when you're not home. Anyone have recommendations or suggestions on a good system?

    Finally, defense. My girlfriend works for the CDC and has some weapons training as a result, but my experience is mostly with rifles and skeet shooting and not handguns. I know some local police departments offer handgun training classes and good avenues to be certified. If we consider buying a handgun for home defense, would that be a good resource to start with?

  2. #2
    Atheist Douchebag.
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    Deadbolts are fantastic. Basically you want to have layers. Most B/E enthusiasts (Criminals) will be deterred by a home that is even moderately guarded. Slap an ADT sticker on the window too.

    As for weapons, there are more informed voices than my own on this subject. NYC doesn't allow handguns at all. I will say that most of my southern friends prefer shotguns for home defense.

  3. #3
    The Anti Miz
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    I've recently started looking into home automation which has randomly lead me to /r/homedefense. I'm sure they have plenty of good advice for all budgets https://www.reddit.com/r/homedefense/

    Can you swap out your doorbell? Apparently seeing "ring doorbells" is enough to deter a lot of burglars. This is the one I plan to get https://ring.com/video-doorbell-pro?...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

  4. #4
    Ridill
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    Don't have a doorbell to swap out or the wires in place to install one. It is an apartment complex, so I want to limit drilling/hard installs as much as possible.

    I think i've got some old security signage I can place outside my door in a potted plant or something, but thanks for the reddit link. There are some good thoughts there about ideas.

  5. #5
    She Shoots For The Stars
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    Kirin; One thing you can do. Get either a dog or a bark alarm. (If it's a dog, the more it barks when it senses a stranger, the better. It doesn't even have to be a big one, just a LOUD one.) Most burglars HATE dogs and will avoid any house where they think there's a dog.

  6. #6
    Special at 11:30 or w/e
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    I'm not much help about self defense but as far as your stuff goes get a decent renters insurance policy and take inventory of what you own just in case someone is successful when you're not home. I agree too with getting some stickers or signage. Should help deter. My very first apartment was broken into the week I moved in while I wasn't at home. Even though they moved me to a different area of the complex I had a very hard time sleeping for quite awhile. It really sucks but you'll get through it.

  7. #7
    Shimmy shimmy ya shimmy yam shimmy ya
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    Shotguns are usually the preferred weapon of choice for home defense because they're somewhat safer and/or stupid proof for less skilled individuals. I have a remington 870 and a cute little pink .22 for the wifey. Relatively cheap and effective. I personally would grab my blacked out ar 15 .300 and start raining fire on dem stupid cockroaches. I'd recommend hitting up @Ghost_Wheel22 or @FNH on this forum for way more specific and better recommendations on what to purchase if that's the route you want to take. Those guys are gun encyclopedias.

    Sorry to hear about this. I dealt with break-ins all the time as a kid, but my wife is a delicate flower who grew up with a laugh track sitcom family. I couldn't possibly imagine how distraught she'd be if she had to deal with this kind of situation on her own.

  8. #8
    I trusted Zet and this is what happened
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    Quote Originally Posted by Xno Kappa View Post
    Shotguns are usually the preferred weapon of choice for home defense because they're somewhat safer and/or stupid proof for less skilled individuals. I have a remington 870 and a cute little pink .22 for the wifey. Relatively cheap and effective. I personally would grab my blacked out ar 15 .300 and start raining fire on dem stupid cockroaches. I'd recommend hitting up @Ghost_Wheel22 or @FNH on this forum for way more specific and better recommendations on what to purchase if that's the route you want to take. Those guys are gun encyclopedias.

    Sorry to hear about this. I dealt with break-ins all the time as a kid, but my wife is a delicate flower who grew up with a laugh track sitcom family. I couldn't possibly imagine how distraught she'd be if she had to deal with this kind of situation on her own.
    if firearms are not an option, Golf Irons, or Baseball bats are good white trash choices.

    One they you can also do, is replace the screws on your deadbolt latches with much longer screws that make them harder to be knocked in.

    also, being a gated community, you might complain to staff about this being why you chose this complex and ask them if they can do more.

  9. #9
    The Anti Miz
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    Quote Originally Posted by Xno Kappa View Post
    Shotguns are usually the preferred weapon of choice for home defense because they're somewhat safer and/or stupid proof for less skilled individuals. I have a remington 870 and a cute little pink .22 for the wifey. Relatively cheap and effective. I personally would grab my blacked out ar 15 .300 and start raining fire on dem stupid cockroaches. I'd recommend hitting up @Ghost_Wheel22 or @FNH on this forum for way more specific and better recommendations on what to purchase if that's the route you want to take. Those guys are gun encyclopedias.

    Sorry to hear about this. I dealt with break-ins all the time as a kid, but my wife is a delicate flower who grew up with a laugh track sitcom family. I couldn't possibly imagine how distraught she'd be if she had to deal with this kind of situation on her own.
    how do i convince my anti gun wife to let me get a shotty

  10. #10
    Atheist Douchebag.
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    Quote Originally Posted by tyven View Post
    how do i convince my anti gun wife to let me get a shotty
    pay someone to almost break into your house, looks like.

  11. #11
    Shimmy shimmy ya shimmy yam shimmy ya
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    Quote Originally Posted by tyven View Post
    how do i convince my anti gun wife to let me get a shotty
    Take her to Elite Shooting Sports in Gainesville/Manassas. They give an all women class with female instructors. Got that for the wifey the first year we moved to VA and she loved it. Before she was one of those "pretend to stay asleep in the event of a break-in" type individuals lmaoooo.

  12. #12
    The Anti Miz
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    I will do BOTH

  13. #13
    2600klub
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    Quote Originally Posted by tyven View Post
    how do i convince my anti gun wife to let me get a shotty
    Have a child.

  14. #14
    Member since 2006 and still can't think of a title.
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    For renters insurance (which you should have) just make sure you have a documentation of all serial #'s of anything important. Home consoles and TV's in particular. If you do build your own computers, that may be a bigger pain in the ass to document unless you have the old packaging.

    Also you may want to look into having a couple of network cameras set up in your house, especially if you can partially camouflage it without blocking the lens.

  15. #15
    E. Body
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    My grandpa had a sign that read "Protected by shotgun three nights a week. You guess which three." at his business for over 30 years and never had a break-in.

    Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

  16. #16
    Cerberus
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    One they you can also do, is replace the screws on your deadbolt latches with much longer screws that make them harder to be knocked in.
    This is a definite. Door security 101. Not sure how much you can do on your own if you're renting, but long screws and a big strike plate is one of the simplest and strongest upgrades to a door you can make to prevent kick-ins.

  17. #17
    Atheist Douchebag.
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    Wrong thread

  18. #18
    Ridill
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    How secure are the keypad deadbolt locks? That's what I have going right now.

  19. #19
    Salvage Bans
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    Motion light. I had someone try and break in my house a month after I bought it, and I was away for work. Wife was home alone, called cops and shit but they already fucked off. When I got home I installed a motion light facing my back door. That should be enough to deter idiots in itself.

  20. #20
    Special at 11:30 or w/e
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    Quote Originally Posted by Melena View Post
    For renters insurance (which you should have) just make sure you have a documentation of all serial #'s of anything important. Home consoles and TV's in particular. If you do build your own computers, that may be a bigger pain in the ass to document unless you have the old packaging.

    Also you may want to look into having a couple of network cameras set up in your house, especially if you can partially camouflage it without blocking the lens.
    About self built computers, I had a conversation recently with my underwriting and claims since I swap parts so often. I was told to take pictures of everything showing at least make/model of the parts. Serial numbers can help for very specific items like guns, valuables, or for electronics those that are very expensive. For pc parts that a few hundred they said they aren't concerned.

    We have a current client who in a span of five months had two renters claims for break ins. Both lists were extremely similar. Jordan, Gucci, and other high end shoes. Numerous sets of Beats By Dre, PS4, X1, and Ipads. Three to four televisions each time. And both times claims paid. The proof of ownership of these items were only Walmart receipts and wherever the shoes came from. The second claim was close to $11K. Point is, depending on the company and their claims they may take minimal evidence. However, I would always recommend taking as much documentation to prove ownership just in case the insurance company are dicks.

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