Home and personal security when the SHTF

 I'll start off with a disclaimer. I am not a security expert. The information that I am passing on here has been gleaned from a number of places - on-line, books, anecdotal and personal experience. I suggest that you do your own research and draw your own conclusions as to what will work best for you, your family and the location and layout of your property - and of course how much money you want to throw at such a project.

Although, further into this article, I mention the use of weapons for home defence, I do not advocate the use of violence or the use of weapons under normal circumstances. “Everyone is justified in using, in the defence of himself or another, such force as, in the circumstances as he believes them to be, it is reasonable to use.” (Section 48 of the NZ Crimes Act 1961).

What does this mean? You are allowed to defend yourself from attack, but use your commonsense. The idea is to defend yourself – not to cause injury or get revenge. If you use unreasonable force, you are committing a crime. Your first concern should always be for your own safety and that of others with you. Never take the law in to your own hands or take unnecessary risks. Unless it is absolutely necessary to defend yourself to avoid harm, the best thing to do is to move away, avoid a confrontation, contact the police and give them an accurate description of the offender(s).

However, if during or after a SHTF event the police are no longer in control of the streets, there is no rule of law and gangs of looters are going door to door, all bets are off.

Before I get into the what, why and how of the subject, I'll provide a useful link to the hbprepper.nz website and the printable PDF resources under the general heading of "Security" -  Security – HB Prepper

There are 9 different PDF files there giving advice on everything from on-line security to home security to security in the nuclear age to self defence for women.

So, what can you do to make your property more secure?

Firstly, if you don't already have them fitted as standard, replace door and window locks with good quality ones - including dead bolts for your doors. Use them, but make sure that windows can be opened from the inside if you need to exit the house in an emergency, such as a house fire. If you're able to install the locks yourself, do so, otherwise employ a reputable locksmith.

Don't get paranoid but be sensible when it comes to locking doors when you are home - for example when having a sleep or rest, or if you are in the back garden, make sure your front door is locked.

Don't leave tools or ladders out that would-be burglars could use to gain access to your home.

Lock all sheds, motor vehicles and the garage. If you have a secure fence and gate surrounding your home, make sure the gate is locked at night or when you are not home.

If you can afford it, install sensor lights and security cameras (outside and inside the home). If you can't afford the real thing, cheap dummy cameras can be bought for a fraction of the price and look realistic enough to act as a deterrent. Signs could also act as a deterrent - such as "Beware of the Dog", "Property monitored by ABC Security Ltd" or "Trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again". 

Don't leave house keys under the door mat, under plant pots, in unattended cars, or in other obvious places.

Close your curtains or blinds at night - no need to advertise what is in your home to anyone passing.

Be careful disposing of packaging for new purchases of expensive items. That box that the big screen TV / new computer / shotgun came in, if put out for recycling or rubbish collection, acts as an advertisement for would be burglars.

If you go out, do not leave notes in plain sight stating how long you will be away, or a time that you will be back. This may sound obvious, but a friend of mine once left a note in his unlocked porch area, for his mother, stating "back at 3pm door key is in the fridge" - the fridge was in the unlocked porch. This is an invitation to be burgled.

Here are a couple of YouTube videos that give tips on how to make your home more secure. (1407) 10 Easy & Inexpensive Hacks to Burglar-Proof Your Home - YouTube and (1407) The Prepper’s Guide to Securing Your Home - YouTube

Supposing we have a situation where a major collapse event has occurred, the police are either over-run or non-existent and criminal gangs and looters are roaming the streets and going house to house. In a situation like this, where staying in a safe place and phoning the police is no longer an option, what are your choices?

I think that you basically have 3 choices and those are 1. Hide, 2. Run away, or 3 confront/fight the intruders. If you have a secure place to hide or have the time to flee to a more secure location - it would be prudent to do so - but if not, your only remaining option is to defend your home and family with whatever you have at hand. There is a saying "it's better to be judged by 12, than be carried out by 6" - referring to taking what could be lethal action and ending up in court and judged by a jury, or being a victim of violent crime, being killed and having your coffin carried by 6 pallbearers.

Most American preppers will advocate for firearms as the best form of home defence - particularly handguns and shotguns. Pump-action shotguns in particular are very effective for several reasons. Firstly, as a deterrent - the sound of a shell being ratcheted into the barrel could be enough to make a lone looter retreat, as could the sight of you standing there confidently pointing the loaded weapon at them. Secondly, in a narrow space such as a corridor or hallway, the scatter effect of the pellets exiting the barrel makes it very difficult for you to miss what you're aiming at, unlike a handgun which has a single projectile. (Also, it is very difficult to obtain handguns and licences for them legally here in NZ.) and thirdly, the pellets that do miss your intended target will, in most cases, lodge in the wall of your home - where as if you used a hunting rifle, for example, the bullet could pass through the wall of your home and cause damage or death at your neighbour's house.

If you don't have firearms and are not a registered license holder, other options could include air guns, compound bow and arrows, crossbow, pistol crossbow or a slingshot - all of which can be used at a distance from your would-be attacker. You may think that some of these weapons would not be much use because they take time to reload between each shot but, you can get CO2 powered air guns, with magazines holding multiple pellets or ball bearings, that are semi-automatic meaning all you need to do is to keep pulling the trigger for each shot in the magazine to be fired. Another slightly slower air gun option are air guns with 10 shot rotary magazines but you have to cock the air pressure mechanism between each shot - still far quicker than loading individual pellets by hand. Some crossbows are now available with 5 to 7 shot magazines and levers to cock the shooting mechanism which make it much faster than single shot crossbows. A standard bow and arrow can be practiced to become more like a rapid-fire weapon. See video (1408) How to Shoot like Lars Anderson: Fastest Archery Tutorial - YouTube

Americans also have the option of tasers or pepper sprays - which can also be used at a distance - but which are banned here in NZ. It seems sometimes that the odds are unfairly stacked in favour of the criminals here. Of course, in post SHTF and without rule of law situations, you could make your own version of pepper spray using the hottest pepper in the world - the Carolina Reaper pepper. (Plants can be bought from garden centres etc. in NZ). You just then need to make some kind of homemade spray gun. There are many options of homemade pepper spray guns on YouTube if you do a search.

Your next option for weapons of defence are items that you can strike an assailant with. The one that immediately springs to mind is a baseball bat. The problem with using a baseball bat, however, is that it is only effective if you are standing in the middle of a room, with space to swing it fully. If you are in a doorway or corridor/hallway your swing will be limited by either the door frame or the width of the hallway. Something shorter would probably work better, such as a hammer, hatchet or tomahawk. Similarly, a machete, prybar/crowbar, or fireside poker would also do the job.

An interesting experiment would be to look around each room of your house and figure out what every day items could be used or adapted for use as a weapon of defence. In the kitchen the most obvious weapons would be the big knives in the knife block. BUT, if you are going to use a knife you need to get up close and personal and be committed to using it. Any halfhearted waving of a knife in the face of a desperate criminal will result in him taking it off you and using it against you. If you have doubts about using a knife, it would probably be better to choose a heavy bottomed saucepan or frying pan/skillet as you can still use this as a striking weapon and maintain a degree of distance from the assailant, rather than going hand to hand with him. A rolling pin could be another option.

Hot food or liquid if you happen to be cooking or boiling water at the time of a home invasion can also be hurled at the intruder.

In the dining room, China plates thrown edge on are capable of inflicting significant damage if thrown with accuracy and force. Heavy ornaments could also be an option, or anything else that could be thrown to keep the assailant at distance.

Even everyday items could be adapted for self defence, such as a magazine. Rolled up tightly a magazine can be used to strike or to stab in the face of the assailant. See this video for an example of how to use a magazine as a weapon to defend against an attacker with a knife. Using a Magazine as an Improvised Weapon - YouTube

Even a standard Bic pen can be used to defend yourself. (1408) How to use a Pen as an Improvised Weapon - YouTube

This video looks at a number of possible home defence weapons and decides which is best overall. (1408) Choosing The Best Home Defense Weapon (Besides Guns) - YouTube

I hope that this article helps you prepare for a societal collapse and gives you some idea of the options available to you in such a situation when there is no rule of law.

Again, I must emphasize in case of a home invasion or looters on your property - under normal circumstances the best option is to get yourself and your loved ones away from danger and to contact the police. Confrontation should be your last choice if there is no other option.