With everything that is going on in our world and nation today, civil unrest is becoming a daily activity. The new 'Occupy' movement is gaining momentum throughout the world, and while its means are meant to be peaceful, it will take very little for it to turn overwhelmingly violent. This article and many other sources show that they are planning to step things up a notch this spring. Who knows how this could turn out..
In the past, many events have shown us how little it takes to turn a normal protest or natural disaster into mayhem. Hurricane Katrina caused a complete breakdown in society and order, with the police completely overwhelmed (of what police were left and did not evacuate with their families) there was widespread looting, rape, murder, and overall anarchy in just a few days time.
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots happened in six days, only due to a controversial jury verdict. Over 50 people died, 1,000's were injured, and much of the city burned to the ground. Many of the people killed were shot by police and national guard.
As preppers, we must have a way to defend our loved ones and belongings against this. The first step is upgrading your ability to defend your home. Just having alot of guns and ammunition is not enough (although it does help). You do not have to make your house into a fortress, just make it alot harder to break into than all the other houses in your area, most are not willing to make the effort into breaking into a hardened home. Installing little seen improvements to your home can have a dramatic effect.
The #1 thing I would suggest is a guard dog. No, it doesnt have to be a huge mean looking Pit Bull. Just any medium size dog that will bark at intruders makes a huge difference psychologically to a trespasser. Not to mention it will act as an alarm and give you much needed time to procure a firearm.
Another good idea is to purchase some security film to place over your windows. This film will prevent your windows from shattering if shot or impacted, therefore making it much harder for an intruder to enter, and does not have near the cost of replacing your windows with armored glass.
Having a good deep-set deadbolt on your doors (I recommend purchasing a steel or aluminum door that is painted to look like wood) is a MUST. Having the bolt slide at least 3 inches into the reenforced frame is imperative so it cannot be kicked in. And if you have a window on your door, make sure to have the deadbolt have key access on both sides so someone cannot just break the window and turn the deadbolt.
Planting 'prickle' bushes such as rose, washington hawthorn, pyracantha, oregon grape holly, etc. can be a very good deterrant for intruders if they are planted under easily accessed windows.
In the event of rioting or unrest in your area, I would recommend littering your yard with clothes and debris, maybe spray a fake gang sign on your wall or such, to make it appear as if you have already been looted, and hopefully you will be passed over. Remember, being unnoticed is best. Avoid confrontation if you can. But be ready to use any force necessary to the situation.
The sound of a pump shotgun being locked and loaded is recognizable to just about anyone, and sends a huge message to a would-be thief. If you must use force, there are non-lethal shotgun shells on the market such as bean bag rounds or salt shot rounds. But be sure to have the real deal on hand, I would not want to face an armed intruder with only non-lethal means.
While security in this type of situation is of upmost importance, the most important thing is to have all of the necessities in bulk stored away. Having the most fortified house in the world wont matter a bit if you run out of food or water and have to leave to acquire some. These situations may last for days or weeks. At a very minimum, having one month of food and water for you and your family is a smart move. (However I do recommend storing much more than just one month worth.)
At the very beginning of the situation, storing large amounts of water will be vital. Things such as the WaterBob (a large bag that lines your bathtub to hold water, and keep it potable for consumption. It has a hand pump installed for dispensing.) will come in handy. If all else fails and you are out of water from the tap, a few key gallons may be stuck in your pipes, waterheater, etc. that you can salvage.
Keep your eyes and ears tuned my friends, you never know what is just around the corner.
NCPrepper10 out.
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