How would you react...

[mikedippert]

This is third hand knowledge, but still worth discussing. Here's the chain of communication. Event happens to 'Bob'. Bob tells his neighbor Suzy. Suzy tells my wife at work. Wife tells me.
We all live newer neighborhood just south of a smallish city. There have been some thefts at homes under construction (stolen AC units, wtf?), and general teenager shenanigans. Several LEO live there and park their cars in plain view.

Bob is at work at Camp Atterberry in Edinburgh. His wife needs to run some errands & leaves their sick 9yo at home alone. Shortly after mom leaves, the daughter calls dad at work and says the neighbor let himself into their house. The wife left the front door unlocked (mistake).
The timing implies the neighbor was watching, and expected the house to be empty. I don't know how the situation ended.

This shouldn't be important, but the neighbor is supposedly Nigerian. And Bob (and i assume wife) is black.

How would you react to that phone call. Not just immediate action, but your whole mindsight about home safety going forward.

 

[eldirector]

That's all kinds of screwed up! I assume the neighbor was arrested?

A) Lock the door
B) Don't leave the 9-year-old home alone
C) Cameras? Alarm? Something.....
D) Talk with other neighbors, and make sure they know that this guy is letting himself in to homes.

Just off the top of my head....

 

[mikedippert]

I would be making damn sure the door is locked everytime I leave the house.
I'm not sure if I'd want my (future) kid calling me, mom, or 911 first.
Leaving a younger kid home alone is a case-by-case decision.

I'll be teaching my kid to shoot from a young age. I don't know about leaving a loaded gun laying around where they could reach it if needed. If an adult has an AD injury it's stupidity. If a child (even if they're a competitive shooter) has any incident it's parental negligence and CPS will put them in foster care while you're in prison.

 

[mikedippert]

And a security system would be in order.
Restraining order against offending neighbor.
Community announcement about offending neighbor.

Also, we live within sight of an elementary school. Any hint of a predator should be investigated. (Maybe he knew the daughter was still home alone? You know everything I know).

I certainly wouldn't leave those kids home alone (I think they have another younger kid that was with mom) again.

 

[TaunTaun]

Immediate Action:Tell kid to get to safe room utilizing fall back positions to get there. Tell them to arm up and pull back to defensive positions (knives or guns, either one. In my house, preferably gun). Get kid off phone and tell them to dial 911 and leave the phone connection open, put the phone in a pocket or waistband, don't talk to the operator. Call 911 myself and inform them of a illegal entry at the house, child home alone, and it is unknown whether the intruder has a weapon or not. If support other than police is available and nearby, get them there in a hurry. If you are close by, get there in a hurry. Get wife back to house in a hurry. Kid has one instruction only after that before getting off the phone with that, " If he comes at you, aim and pull the trigger. Keep going until the gun is empy"

Long Term plan: HAVE a plan. Everyone in the family needs to know how to react in case of an emergency, that includes house defense. Scenarios need to be talked about. Kids need to have basic familiarization with weapons available to them as well as the adults.

 

[88GT]

Immediate Action:Tell kid to get to safe room utilizing fall back positions to get there. Tell them to arm up and pull back to defensive positions (knives or guns, either one. In my house, preferably gun). Get kid off phone and tell them to dial 911 and leave the phone connection open, put the phone in a pocket or waistband, don't talk to the operator. Call 911 myself and inform them of a illegal entry at the house, child home alone, and it is unknown whether the intruder has a weapon or not. If support other than police is available and nearby, get them there in a hurry. If you are close by, get there in a hurry. Get wife back to house in a hurry. Kid has one instruction only after that before getting off the phone with that, " If he comes at you, aim and pull the trigger. Keep going until the gun is empy"

Long Term plan: HAVE a plan. Everyone in the family needs to know how to react in case of an emergency, that includes house defense. Scenarios need to be talked about. Kids need to have basic familiarization with weapons available to them as well as the adults.

That would be kind of difficult if some had their way. We're supposed to keep the firearms locked up at all times.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

AC units have a lot of metal the thieves turn in for salvage.

I don't have much to add, but I think most of us (me included) should sit down and work out a few simple plans for bad situations that may come up, then go over them periodically with the family members.

 

[mikedippert]

AC units have a lot of metal the thieves turn in for salvage.

I don't have much to add, but I think most of us (me included) should sit down and work out a few simple plans for bad situations that may come up, then go over them periodically with the family members.

I figured it was a copper thing. It just seems like too much work and risk for beer money.