The FBI says: “A home is invaded every 12 seconds by someone going right through a front or back door. Secure your doors.”
The easiest way for a someone to break in to your home is to just kick in the door. The is the way that the vast majority of home invaders and burglars enter a home. In fact, they come right through the door over 70% of the time…and 80% of the time the door frame fails, not the door locks as most people believe.
Just How Does Someone Kick In the Door?
Most often doors are “Shoulder Slammed” or “Mule Kicked” by intruders. “Shoulder Slamming” is simply driving one’s shoulder into a door with great force. “Mule Kicking” is when someone turns their back to the door and kicks it in the same way that a mule kicks with his hind leg. “Mule Kicking” a door is an intruder’s favorite way to gain entry as it allows him to see who may be watching him from the street and beyond, plus it can open a door in a split second when done correctly.
The 4 Reasons Why Doors are Able to Be Kicked In So Easily…
1. Most door frames on houses are nothing more than two 2″ by 4″ pine studs nailed together and covered with thin decorative wood trim.
2. Most door knobs and deadbolts are poorly secured in the door.
3. Most door hinges are held to the door and door frame with screws about 1 inch long or less. (Go remove a screw from one of your door hinges and you’ll see)
4. Most door frames have a small, thin, weak strike plate that is held in with screws less than 1 inch long.
How to Correct Weak Door Latch and Door Frame Problems…
There is very little realistically that you can do to correct the fact that your walls and door frames are made from soft wood 2″ by 4″ studs. It’s just a fact that most houses are constructed in this way. But what can be done is to reinforce all of the weak areas which are the most prone to fail.
1. Put a metal door guard over the areas where your door knob and deadbolt are that extends to the very edge of the door. This prevents the door knob latch and deadbolt stem from being able to be broken out of the door.
2. Replace the short typical 1 inch screws in the hinges with 2.5″ long screws in the hinge side going to the door frame and put 1.5″ screws in the hinge side that attaches to the door. This prevents the hinged side of the door from being able to be kicked out.
3. Replace the small 1 to 3 inch strike plates on the door frame with a 5 foot metal door reinforcement product such as the Door Security Pro Door Security Guard (available from: http://www.doorsecuritypro.com). This prevents the latch side of the door from being able to be kicked open. This 5′ metal strike plate serves a dual purpose. It replaces the small weak strike plates with something much stronger and it prevents weak door frames made of soft wood from splitting. When the door frame splits, that’s what causes the door knob and deadbolt to allow the door to open. The Door Security Pro will also easily repair a broken door frame.
Door Knobs and Deadbolts
Aside from what’s listed above, make sure you have good quality door knobs and deadbolts, preferably the newer “pick proof” models.
It does you little good to have strengthened your door frame and hinges if the quality of your locks is poor. By the same token, good door locks alone are not going to prevent a door kick in. You must address and correct all the weaknesses if you are to be fully protected.
The old saying…”An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” most definitely applies when considering your door frames and door locks. Fix them now while it’s fresh in your mind. After all, what’s more valuable than your safety, your family’s safety and your home?
Home Invasions – An Inside Look
April 22, 2009
Home Invasions – An Inside Look
by David Carrington
In a standard home burglary, burglars only look for unoccupied homes to burglarize. In fact, they do not want to rob an occupied home and usually will avoid it at all costs as the risks and consequences are so much higher.
A Home Invasion is a home burglary intentionally conducted knowing the residents are present.
Home Invaders also often operate in groups as then they can then exert even greater control and dominance over their victims. While the risks are much higher for the Home Invader, so potentially are the rewards.
With the resident at home they can extract valuable information from them like credit cards and pin numbers, the location and combination to a safe, cash and jewelry. Also, they can extract the whereabouts of other valuables that may otherwise be impossible to locate.
Who is Typically Targeted for a Home Invasion?
In short, people who tend to be weaker or more vulnerable than the average person and people known to have large amounts of cash. Targets include those who will likely put up the least resistance and most often that is women, the elderly, people with handicaps, children and teenagers.
When Do Most Home Invasions Occur?
In the afternoon, 2:00 P.M. to be precise. At this time of the day, young children and mothers are often taking naps. The elderly also tend to nap around this time of the day. Husbands are generally at work and they most likely won’t be home anytime soon.
In daylight hours the neighbors are often not at home either and during daylight the ones that are at home are not nearly as suspicious of someone approaching your house, especially if they are wearing a uniform. At this time of day, often people are outside in their backyard and often can’t hear their front door being broken into. They unwittingly re-enter from via their back door and are confronted by intruders.
With that being said, Home Invasions DO OCCUR 24 HOURS A DAY so you must always be alert to the possibility. Home Invasions happen once every 12 seconds and it happens to 1 in 5 homes at some point.
How Do Burglars and Home Invaders Choose Their Targets?
By observing people. People are creatures of habit; they often leave home and come back at basically the same times day after day. For example, most housewives are at home alone all day, so Home Invaders watch the husband for a while and know when he is likely to be gone and for how long.
Home Invaders will often pose as delivery men or utility workers. Some even pose as police officers. They know that most people will readily open their doors for these type of people and if they won’t, they know they can just kick open most doors in less than 1 second.
What Happens Once Inside?
The Home Invader PRESSURES and INTIMIDATES the resident for various information. They yell, they scream, they threaten. Should this not get them what they want, they may move on to physical violence, often taking the resident hostage. 38% of all assaults occur during a Home Invasion. Sadly, so do 60% of all rapes.
Once taken hostage and the crucial information has been extracted, victims are often gagged and bound. A gag is placed in or over their mouth to prevent them from making noise which may alert the neighbors. Their hands and feet are bound to prevent their escape or to prevent them from fighting back.
Reduce Your Chances of Being Victimized
• Don’t answer or open the door unless you are certain of someone’s identity. You can always ask for someone’s identification and call their company to verify who they are.
• Use good quality window locks. Keep your windows locked at all times. There are also window locking devices that will allow you to open the windows for ventilation, but will prevent them from opening wide enough for anyone to get inside. Available at most hardware stores and locksmiths.
• Have high strength window protection film installed on all ground-level windows. With some brands, once installed, you can’t even break the window with a hammer. Check the Yellow Pages or online for local dealers and installers.
• Install high quality door locks and deadbolts on all exterior doors. Make sure you use them even when you are at home. The best door locks are what’s called: ‘bump-proof’ or ‘pick-proof’. Available at most hardware stores and from all locksmiths.
• Reinforce all of your exterior door frames with a high strength steel strike plate. Home Invaders kick-in doors. 70% of all kicked-in doors happen because the door frame breaks. We recommend the Door Security Pro Door Security Guard. Not one door frame has ever failed when a Door Security Pro Door Security Guard was properly installed on it. Available online from: http://www.doorsecuritypro.com/
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