The problem with weapon lights... [updated with pics]

[L84CABO]

My gate isn't locked because I use it. I'm almost positive this guy hopped my wall. There's a location it's only ~5' high. The rest it at least 6'6". I noticed an area behind my garage on that side which had what looked to me like footprints in the weeds/grass but didn't see any evidence of shoe marks on the wall/fencing. My mom suggested carpet tack strip on the wall/fencing there. I'm not too keen on that given this litigious state. Last thing I need is a lawsuit from some dip**** trying to tresspass onto my property.

BTW, the gate latch is a real pain in the a** to open without making a ton of noise. If he opened the latch, I would have heard it and been on alert immediately. Not having a lock on it also helped him GTFO of my yard without me helping him.

I'm just going to point out that by that logic you shouldn't lock your front door either...because you use it.

Three dudes in the backyard and it's time to make some changes. Install an actual keyed deadbolt or something that you can easily unlock during the day and lock at night.

And the tack strip might get you in trouble, litigiously, because it's fairly covert. But something obvious like razor wire is clearly visible.

It's your yard. But you've got to either take some significant steps here or you can continue to expect to find dudes in your backyard...and well keep reading about it here.

Good luck.

[dreyna14]

I'm just going to point out that by that logic you shouldn't lock your front door either...because you use it.

Three dudes in the backyard and it's time to make some changes. Install an actual keyed deadbolt or something that you can easily unlock during the day and lock at night.

And the tack strip might get you in trouble, litigiously, because it's fairly covert. But something obvious like razor wire is clearly visible.

It's your yard. But you've got to either take some significant steps here or you can continue to expect to find dudes in your backyard...and well keep reading about it here.

Good luck.

[TrappedinCalifornia]

...My gate isn't locked because I use it. I'm almost positive this guy hopped my wall. There's a location it's only ~5' high. The rest it at least 6'6". I noticed an area behind my garage on that side which had what looked to me like footprints in the weeds/grass but didn't see any evidence of shoe marks on the wall/fencing. My mom suggested carpet tack strip on the wall/fencing there. I'm not too keen on that given this litigious state. Last thing I need is a lawsuit from some dip**** trying to tresspass onto my property.

BTW, the gate latch is a real pain in the a** to open without making a ton of noise. If he opened the latch, I would have heard it and been on alert immediately. Not having a lock on it also helped him GTFO of my yard without me helping him.

I'm just going to point out that by that logic you shouldn't lock your front door either...because you use it.

Three dudes in the backyard and it's time to make some changes. Install an actual keyed deadbolt or something that you can easily unlock during the day and lock at night.

And the tack strip might get you in trouble, litigiously, because it's fairly covert. But something obvious like razor wire is clearly visible.

It's your yard. But you've got to either take some significant steps here or you can continue to expect to find dudes in your backyard...and well keep reading about it here.

Good luck.

If an overriding concern for you is the "litigious nature of this State," then I have to agree with L84CABO that it's time to make some changes, otherwise known as "mitigation" to the possibility of being found 'culpable' to any degree. Remember, in a civil suit brought by the individual's family, one of the issues is likely to be the degree to which you took reasonable precautions, particularly given your awareness of the alley, the regularity of the occupants you described, and the 'frequency' with which your backyard is being 'invaded.' This is particularly true in that you can't prove he simply "hopped the fence" (where "more than likely" might not work in your favor) and didn't enter through a 'gate' you'd left unlocked. Even if it makes a 'ton of noise,' who's to say that such 'noise' isn't what alerted the dogs rather than it being the dogs wanting a 'potty break?'

It's not all about having a "gun." It's about taking reasonable steps before having to resort to a "gun." That's particularly true in that you acknowledge... "Not being able to clearly see him..."

I'm not saying you did anything wrong and it's good to know what the limitations are regarding the 'tools' you use for self-defense. But, just as you weren't too "keen" on pointing a gun at him, I'm not sure I'd be too "keen" on leaving a gate 'permanently' unsecured simply due to the 'inconvenience,' particularly given the 'known' and 'established' possibility of trespass by such individuals as you describe and are aware of.

Just something to consider.

[seaweedsoyboy]

Great thing about Olights is that you can chuck them like grenades as a last resort!

[madland]

A decent light will more than illuminate a target directly ahead while pointed at the ground in front of the shooter.

And get some motion activated yard lighting.

TLR1-HL for the win!!

^^^^^ These are what I keep mounted on my HD guns. Plenty of spill if I'm in high or low ready. Just look at the pic @Killer Bee posted.

I have two of these lights from Home Depot mounted in the back yard. Dusk-to-dawn sensor keeps them on all night. Motion sensor ramps them both up to over 2000 lumen each to light up the backyard if anyone decides to hop my fence. $70 each

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Defiant-180-White-LED-Motion-Outdoor-Security-Light-DFI-5983-WH/205937583

[p7m8jg]

In general don't go outside with a gun. Glad everything is ok in the end.

Agreed. Call the cops, stay safe inside. Best decisions to avoid confrontation and mistakes.

[REDdawn6]

I have a Monoprice 1000lm Flashlight great deal for $20 and bright , someone would think its on a rifle. Hopefully

[naz]

Op mentioned unlocked gate, unlit areas in yard, low fence, camera blind spots.

My $0.02 is to fix those and get lesser or no strangers in yard before worrying about WML.

Also, how come everyone here likes pistols and not long guns for their HD

[Gun Kraft]

I like to see you look at my 2200 lumen handheld on strobe and try to aim at it. Even the 1000 lumen light will overload your retina for a couple minutes.

Here's a simple experiment you can try: ask someone to aim your light at you with the strobe (or whatever) on. While looking at that light, can you point your finger at that light source? If the answer is yes, then you can aim a pistol at it.

I agree that in the dark the only thing you will see is that light while it's on and if you're looking directly at it for a few seconds afterwards. But while it's on the light is a bullet magnet and if you have it in a neck index guess where the bad guy's going to aim?

[dreyna14]

If an overriding concern for you is the "litigious nature of this State," then I have to agree with L84CABO that it's time to make some changes, otherwise known as "mitigation" to the possibility of being found 'culpable' to any degree. Remember, in a civil suit brought by the individual's family, one of the issues is likely to be the degree to which you took reasonable precautions, particularly given your awareness of the alley, the regularity of the occupants you described, and the 'frequency' with which your backyard is being 'invaded.' This is particularly true in that you can't prove he simply "hopped the fence" (where "more than likely" might not work in your favor) and didn't enter through a 'gate' you'd left unlocked. Even if it makes a 'ton of noise,' who's to say that such 'noise' isn't what alerted the dogs rather than it being the dogs wanting a 'potty break?'

It's not all about having a "gun." It's about taking reasonable steps before having to resort to a "gun." That's particularly true in that you acknowledge... "Not being able to clearly see him..."

I'm not saying you did anything wrong and it's good to know what the limitations are regarding the 'tools' you use for self-defense. But, just as you weren't too "keen" on pointing a gun at him, I'm not sure I'd be too "keen" on leaving a gate 'permanently' unsecured simply due to the 'inconvenience,' particularly given the 'known' and 'established' possibility of trespass by such individuals as you describe and are aware of.

Just something to consider.

I think it would be a pathetic argument for a family to make that because I didn't take "reasonable precautions" against their family member's illegal intrusion that I am somehow culpable for their injuries. My only concern was the suggestion by a family member to install carpet tack strip along the low portion of the wall/fencing in one area. I know that could easily result in legal issues for me but it isn't reasonable for me to make the property fencing 12' high and "glorious."

While I can't "prove" he got over the fence, the only entrance into the yard is either through the house or the side gate through which he exited and I've verified that he DID NOT enter there as I have a camera that covers the gate and that side of the house. Literally the ONLY way he could have gotten in, other than by parachute, is to scale the wall/fencing. I will be beefing the low spot up at least a foot and a half as a reasonable way of discouraging anyone from climbing over.

[tdp113530]

Agreed. Call the cops, stay safe inside. Best decisions to avoid confrontation and mistakes.

Best advice yet. Even the 911 dispatcher will tell you to stay inside.

[OlderThanDirt]

My gate isn't locked because I use it. I'm almost positive this guy hopped my wall. There's a location it's only ~5' high. The rest it at least 6'6". I noticed an area behind my garage on that side which had what looked to me like footprints in the weeds/grass but didn't see any evidence of shoe marks on the wall/fencing. My mom suggested carpet tack strip on the wall/fencing there. I'm not too keen on that given this litigious state. Last thing I need is a lawsuit from some dip**** trying to tresspass onto my property.

BTW, the gate latch is a real pain in the a** to open without making a ton of noise. If he opened the latch, I would have heard it and been on alert immediately. Not having a lock on it also helped him GTFO of my yard without me helping him.

I like your mom. Is she single?

Not knowing the exact layout of your yard, it's hard to make specific recommendations, but I would make jumping your back wall as inconvenient as possible. Thorny vines work well, as well as a hedge that makes it hard to jump into your yard.

I hate to endorse any Amazon product, but a Ring floodlight, or equivalent, would be useful. You can set your motion zones to minimize false alarms, light up your yard, get good video and activate your siren if needed.

Like other people have noted, buy a small handheld flashlight, actually buy several. These lights have become fairly cheap and are quite bright. I think I have at least a dozen Fenix lights. I use weapon lights as a last resort and prefer to use a free hand to hold the light away from my body.

I also have a bunch of handheld lasers that I use for my underwater parallel laser survey equipment. A laser tends to easily discourage dirtbags and has a long range so you don't need to get up close and personal.

If you won't lock your gate, at least put a contact sensor on it, as well as some motion sensors around your yard. Use a home automation system to activate lights based on motion detection. While harder to find, you can get curtain sensors that have a focused motion beam. If you have a clear line of sight across your back yard, you might try an IR laser sensor that creates a continuous beam (similar to a driveway sensor). Set it above dog height and any human going over the fence will break the beam as they approach the house.

Since you live in Oxnard, you already know that OPD has their hands full dealing with thugs and punks to the point that they can't possibly be responsive to every nonviolent call for service. You need to assume you are the only line of defense against the zombie apocalypse of petty criminals and drug users that walk all of our communities at night.

[oldsmoboat]

My cheap cameras alert me to motion. But then I don't have pets.

[dreyna14]

I like your mom. Is she single?

Not knowing the exact layout of your yard, it's hard to make specific recommendations, but I would make jumping your back wall as inconvenient as possible. Thorny vines work well, as well as a hedge that makes it hard to jump into your yard.

I hate to endorse any Amazon product, but a Ring floodlight, or equivalent, would be useful. You can set your motion zones to minimize false alarms, light up your yard, get good video and activate your siren if needed.

Like other people have noted, buy a small handheld flashlight, actually buy several. These lights have become fairly cheap and are quite bright. I think I have at least a dozen Fenix lights. I use weapon lights as a last resort and prefer to use a free hand to hold the light away from my body.

I also have a bunch of handheld lasers that I use for my underwater parallel laser survey equipment. A laser tends to easily discourage dirtbags and has a long range so you don't need to get up close and personal.

If you won't lock your gate, at least put a contact sensor on it, as well as some motion sensors around your yard. Use a home automation system to activate lights based on motion detection. While harder to find, you can get curtain sensors that have a focused motion beam. If you have a clear line of sight across your back yard, you might try an IR laser sensor that creates a continuous beam (similar to a driveway sensor). Set it above dog height and any human going over the fence will break the beam as they approach the house.

Since you live in Oxnard, you already know that OPD has their hands full dealing with thugs and punks to the point that they can't possibly be responsive to every nonviolent call for service. You need to assume you are the only line of defense against the zombie apocalypse of petty criminals and drug users that walk all of our communities at night.

Mom is happily married, lol. She is pretty much a harda** and doesn't take **** from literally anyone. Growing up in Pacoima during the 70's will do that. I'm 42 and she will not hesitate to slap the **** out of me if I deserve it.

I have almost as many flashlights around the house as my wife has chapsticks lying around. I didn't grab one because I had a weaponlight on my Sig. When I got out there I realized that I wasn't comfortable pointing my gun at him. Just a personal preference. Next time, I will grab both the gun and a separate light.

I know this guy didn't go through the gate to get in but your suggestions on a breakable beam might be useful. Right now we don't have any audible alerts.

I have a great respect for OPD and the officer(s) didn't show up for an hour or so. My wife was a little pissed but I reminded her that the guy was gone and they had better things to attend to. The officer and I had a good chat about the local homeless and she gave me a few heads up, including a creepy dude she's made multiple contacts with in the area who likes to just chill on neighborhood porches. BTW, she was a flippin cutie. Would easily get the Calguns approval.

[steelrain82]

Where in Oxnard do you live? I want to keep an eye out as I too live here. There have been a few break ins lately over here on the north side town.