As you are about to retire for the night, you make sure that all windows and doors are secure before heading to your bedroom. Just as you head up the stairs, you stop by and check in your 5 year old son’s room. He is sound asleep so you turn off the light and leave out of the room.
You are sound asleep when you startled by a loud thump coming from the kitchen. You roll over to look at the clock and it’s a little after 3 a.m. As you flip over to go back to sleep, you hear the loud thump again. There is someone in your home. What should you do?
The number one thing to do is Remain Calm. Now is the time to think of a plan to ensure the safety of you and your child. Aggression and Fear can escalate the situation into violence.
1. Get to a safe room, lock and barricade the door. A chair lodged under the handle, or a heavy dresser pushed in place will be adequate. Stay put until police arrive and clear you home.
2. Contact the police. Keep a charged cell phone in your bedroom. The intruder may have cut the landline. While on the phone with the police, let dispatch know how many suspects are inside and if they are armed. Let dispatch know where you are inside the home (ex. Bedroom on west end of home).
3. Find an escape route. Make sure that the room you locked yourself in has another escape exit. If you or someone else can make it out your home through a door or window, then do so to seek help.
4. Never confront the intruder unless in self-defense. Even if the intruder appears to look weaker or smaller, you don’t know if he/she is carrying any tools that can be used as a weapon.
Home invasion crimes are on the rise – especially in the metro Atlanta area.
The Washington Post provided a detailed diagram of where thieves can gain entry and other statistics provided by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the FBI Uniform Crime Report.
65.8% of burglaries are residential. Every 14.6 seconds, a burglary takes place in the United States. Although most burglaries occur during daylight hours, it can happen from time to time at night during hours that the household is expected to be asleep.
Usually the first stop for a burglar is the master bedroom because most people keep their valuables there. Some of the first places a burglar will look for valuables are the dresser drawers, bedroom closet, and the freezer. Some favorite items burglars like to get their hands on are ash, jewelry, electronics, guns, and any other items that are easy to sell.
To view the diagram, please use the following link.
Waking up in the middle of the night and discovering an intruder can be your worst nightmare – especially when you and your children are home alone. The best thing to do to prepare yourself and others in the home to come up with a plan – before it happens. It is important to think about it now while you are calm and out of harms way.
Once you have created a plan, it is always good to do a run-through of the plan – especially if you have children. It’s easier for children to do a physical run-through of the plan rather than just talking about it. Be prepared if you encounter this situation.
Officers on routine foot-patrol is a comforting sight to the community, and perhaps even the criminal. I am understanding of all involved for the safety of our law inforcement personnel, but to keep in mind, the majority of citizens are law-abiding, and want the common criminal off of our streets. I have noticed the use of the buddy system with local police officers. This type of system should have never been abandon. With warmer weather approaching, it would be nice if the departments could afford te Segway two-wheelers for our officers. concerned citizen