Becareful when someone knocks on your door

[Gshock]

More importantly, don't hire day laborers. At least one of the suspects had worked at the victims home several times, so the couple may have recognized them.
I have 4 different neighbors who were robbed soon after either hiring day laborers or using a contractor who admitted to using day laborers. In one case they knew the homeowners were going out of town for the weekend and left a window unlocked. They were cought a few days later in the stolen Lexus and identified by the homeowners.

[djslik]

+1 to NOT hiring day laborers. My coworkers neighbor got cased by the day laborer they hired in the yard and were burglarized during the daytime. My friend had his house broken into twice by the same guys that they hired to work in their yard as well. My friend saw the guys truck in their neighborhood before they were burglarized and he know that it was them. Neighbors reported seeing a similar truck around the time of the second burglary. I don't like people doing work on my house that I can do myself. If it's contract work I want to see that they are licensed and that their crew is also legit.

[gravedigger]

And people call me 'paranoid' for having multiple CCTV cameras around my home.

[j1133s]

I've hired many day laborers, and they strike me as decent, hard working people (need supervision though... or they don't work much). Use some common sense and caution just like everything else in life and you'll be fine, so, obviously you don't show them your gun collection or stash of cash and jewels.

[yelohamr]

Magazine solicitors have been known to case houses too.
I had one at my door a few months ago and she claimed to be a "neighbor up the street". At home I LOC. When I opened the security gate and asked where she lived, she couldn't pronounce the name of the cross street. I asked if she had any I.D. and she showed me one that was hand written with a Sharpie. Told her to take a hike.

A few days later another one showed up and when I opened the door, the first words out of his mouth were, "Don't shoot, I'm not violent." I hadn't opened the security gate yet and he couldn't see me. How did he know I was armed?
I wonder if he knew the lady that was there earlier?

[Seesm]

Poor people... The guys who did this need there nuts cut off... END of story. Nuff said.

[Lucky Scott]

My neighborhood has had a huge increase in door to door magazine sales. Kinda freaks everybody out since they are apparent inner city youths with a shirt and tie and some kind of ID badge. We seem to get about one a week, they often travel in pairs, and they act confrontational when told, "We dont want any".

We never open the door, but look out the window instead and just tell them thru the locked door.

They always act pissed that we wont open the door.
Maybe they just want to sell a magazine subscription, maybe not.

Of course, we hopefully will never have to use the firearms that we own to protect our family, but they are ready if needed.

[Barney Gumble]

We never open the door, but look out the window instead and just tell them thru the locked door.

+1, this is the way to answer the door! You don't have to open it to talk to someone outside.

I always LOC or CCW at home, condition 1.

[Scratch705]

this is why a security door was the first thing we installed when we moved in. allows us to open the door and still be secure. and of course it is hinged so it swings out so they can't push their way in by force.

and if i am home with another person, i always go into the room with a window that faces the front door, and lock, load and aim (behind a curtain of course), while the other person opens the door.

[MT1]

I don't answer the door.

Someone I know would call first, or could call from the doorstep.

[Deadbolt]

wow thats ****ed (the assault)

[POLICESTATE]

Ugh those magazine people, I always look through the blinds and if I see people holding papers I don't answer, doesn't matter they can hear my kids playing in the house. I aint buyin'!

[odysseus]

Don't open your door for anyone you wouldn't consider being in your home. Have a way to talk to them, if you want, without opening the door. I have simply just stood there and never talked to strangers at my door; I think that leaves as ominous a tone for them as I need them to understand. Rarely does that ever happen where I am at anyway.

Also, a home alarm system with a panic button is pretty good for home invasion. No need to pickup a phone and dial 911. Just hit it and move to a secure area with your firearm.

[dantodd]

I have struggled with the concept of carrying a holstered weapon inside my own home (Note: My wife and her elderly parents are also occupants) because it would be a little over the top for them.

Any more of this C*** and it will be a done deal.

.

Wall safe next to the door plus a peep hole.

[Barney Gumble]

I don't answer the door.

Someone I know would call first, or could call from the doorstep.

It's a good idea to at least ask who's there. Burglers/bad guys sometimes ring the doorbell to see if anyone is home. If someone answers they'll move on, otherwise they may figure no one is home and start breaking in.