Keeping yourself safe in your home

[Clairelouise84]

How does one legally and effectively keep oneself safe in their own home? I live with my female fiance and sometimes it would be nice to feel safe and secure in our home. But how can I legally protect us without getting into any kind of trouble. I live in the UK so guns are no an option neither are crossbows or other such projectile weapons.

 

[bala]

Learn some martial arts,hoping that should suffice.
Should you require any more security,post up a trained guard,who has some weaponry as well.beyond that,you might not need ..

 

[Philosophydaddy]

When I was younger I kept a baseball bat beside my bed. Of course, I am in the US so now I keep a loaded 9mm in a gun safe next to my bed instead but you don't quite have that option. I'd say a baseball bat or other such blunt object that is easy to wield and can do enough damage to a perp to incapacitate him/her. Keep it near your bed so that it is harder for someone to get a hold of before you get the chance to wake up and grab it yourself. If you want something a little deadlier, perhaps a hatchet that you can throw or a similar bladed weapon. Other than that, get a security system with an alarm to notify the police in case something happens. That's all I can think of at the moment.

 

[katherine25]

First I would definitely have a security alarm system in place so that if anything does happen at least police have been notified and you don't have to worry about trying to find a phone. Second, I agree learn some martial arts I think this is such a great idea for people to know. I will be putting my daughter into when I can so when she is older she will know how to protect herself. Of course, it doesn't make you invincible but it is a good place to start.

 

[mrsbright]

Get a dog. Get a sign that you have a dog. Get an alarm system. Put the sign of the alarm system to be visible. Get lights that go on when there is movement around. Keep a baseball bat, maybe pepper spray when that's allowed. Make sure everything has a good secure lock. Make friends with the neighbour so that they will feel free to alert you or someone else if they think something is wrong, it never hurts to have someone watching your back.

 

[missbishi]

A dog or some martial arts lessons are probably the best way to go. In the UK, we have little way of legally protecting ourselves at all but "karate chopping" intruders seems to be viewed as a self defence move rather than an attack.

 

[Gabe]

I think as long as you are sensible then all you can do is prevent things as best as you can. Use deadbolts and locks, always draw the curtains or blinds, don't leave anything on display and use window locks.

As for protecting yourself, there is only so much you can do. I have a neighborhood watch, so people need to look out for one another. As foe weapons, one can only fight back, but prevention is a much better and installing an alarm. We have a dog next door who is excellent at guarding all of us, so that's another option.

 

[JoanMcWench]

I'm not familiar with the legality of tasers but I'm quite sure you could legally own a cattle prod. It creates a decent amount of distance & absolutely will put the intruder on their behind. This is more for the home though because it's tough to rationalize walking around with it.

 

[Diane Lane]

There are lots of great suggestions here already. I definitely agree that making friends with your neighbors will help. In addition, make sure you swap phone numbers/emails/instant messaging names with the neighbors you trust, so that if you do hear or see something suspicious, you can notify one another. One thing that makes me feel much more secure is the online group for my neighborhood. If I hear or see something, I check the group, and there's usually a message about it. It might be someone posting that they see someone unusual skulking around, or another person griping about an early delivery at a neighbor's house that they weren't notified about in advance, so I can stay inside my house, rather than having to go outside to see what's going on. Many of my neighbors also have security cameras and lights, so that tends to deter thieves.

As far as at home, there are many implements that could be used as weapons, if push came to shove. I keep something in every room, because you never know what is going to happen, or where you will be if it does happen. Many items, such as bats, have already been mentioned. Kitchen knives could be used for protection, so could an ice pick or a tire iron.

 

[bala]

I'm not familiar with the legality of tasers but I'm quite sure you could legally own a cattle prod. It creates a decent amount of distance & absolutely will put the intruder on their behind. This is more for the home though because it's tough to rationalize walking around with it.

Stun guns will do,but they call for unwanted attention during a trail,sometimes.I mean not always though.
Do you think pepper sprays are a better alternative,women especially can use it and it is legal all across.

 

[DancingLady]

There are a number of home security systems that you can get where if the alarm is set off, the company automatically calls you to make sure everything is OK, if it isn't they will call the police immediately, or if there is no answer they will call the police to check on the property.

 

[JoanMcWench]

I wish I could but it kind of reminds me of antibiotics. As in after a while a tolerance is built. I'm not serious of course but when someone is drunk or high on certain things or they just generally aren't as affected as one should be it could be the case the pepper spray will not work as it's meant to. I have seen people take a hit in the face of pepper spray & still continue their assault. Wish it weren't true, but it is. Getting tased & continuing an assault? Far less likely.

 

[oraclemay]

There are so many great suggestions here that I don't have to look anywhere else. Before you choose a weapon, you need to be sure you are prepared to use it if necessary. Don't choose something you'd rather not use as it may be taken from you and used on you instead.

 

[lushlala]

A dog or some martial arts lessons are probably the best way to go. In the UK, we have little way of legally protecting ourselves at all but "karate chopping" intruders seems to be viewed as a self defence move rather than an attack.

Hehe missbishi, your "karate chopping" comment made me laugh! I would definitely second getting martial arts training. On top of that, like everyone else has suggested, I'd install a security system, join a neighbourhood watch group if you have one in your area and getting a guard dog. These days you can't be too safe. We lived in an apartment block for exactly this reason, we just didn't feel safe otherwise.

 

[Rainman]

Also . . . you should consider buying a machete. It can be a lethal weapon for close range defense. Have it at your bedside and if an intruder breaks into your house, you grab your machete and . . .

How to Choose the Right Survival Machete

Machetes make excellent self defense weapons . . . whether pursued by beast or man, the machete is a force to be reckoned with. It is a crude but efficient last line of defense against any attack.

 

[bala]

There are so many great suggestions here that I don't have to look anywhere else. Before you choose a weapon, you need to be sure you are prepared to use it if necessary. Don't choose something you'd rather not use as it may be taken from you and used on you instead.

Exactly because having something unneccesary at the wrong time calls for unwanted attention.
it might just make u use it,without a reason.

 

[dyanmarie25]

I remember my grandmother used to sleep with all the kitchen knives under her pillow. It's a bit strange, but I think that could be a good idea.

 

[Josie]

I totally agree with a dog. I felt so safe while mine was alive, she barked at anything suspicious.. like squirrels or leaves falling LOL, so yep, we were good. Here, guns are a no and I totally agree with it. You are allowed to do whatever is necessary to get a criminal out of your home.. even if it means lethal actions. You will be judged and if the judge decides you had NO OTHER CHOICE, you will be fine. I agree with this too. In other places, you just shoot and ask questions later. Here, you can do whatever it takes and as long as the person wasn't hurt or killed while running from you and the judge decides you were in real danger or something, you'll be fine. So maybe keeping a bat or other allowed weapons nearby? I would look up your area and see what your specific laws allow.. but I would definitely think about a dog. Nobody is going to waste their time on you if a dog were to wake up the neighbourhood protecting you.