Enter_Narne
Member
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2007
- Messages
- 85
Hi, I plan on building my dream home in a few years and I'm talking with people on the features I'd like to include in the house. One feature I'm interested is an entryway that acts as an airlock. It's been suggested that such an entryway does a good job of keeping the inside climate controlled air from escaping outside and thus keeping energy costs down.
Before I ask my question let me give you some information that leads me to ask it.
I just realized that such an airlock would also be a good form of home defense. Most people around the world have only one front door. With an airlock entryway I would essentially have two. I could answer the front door while the inner airlock door behind me is locked. This would prevent potential invaders that overpower me (God forbid) from having unobstructed access to the interior of the house and my loved ones.
Most people I speak to (mostly law enforcement) about home invasions say that if you are going to fight an intruder you should kill them so they can't turn around and sue you; and you should drag them back into the house if they staggered outside and died on your porch. They say to drag them in because the law is not on the home owners' side if the intruder dies outside the home.
I have been told of three separate instances where home owners have either shot an intruder and the intruder either died outside the home or escaped wounded. In each case the home owner was prosecuted. They were seen as the suspect in a crime, not the intruder.
With these things in mind here is my question:
If I have that exterior front door set up with a silent alarm that sounds in the bedroom, should I leave that door unlocked at night?
Here's why I ask. A person that wants to get into your home uninvited is not an intruder until they "intrude" into the home. The laws protect him/her from my defensive actions and weapons until they cross the threshold into my home. Simply by opening my exterior front entryway door they have become an intruder. My second, equally protected, interior entryway door is still protecting my home. I am not at a disadvantage because I am still under the same amount of protection as most of the people around the world.
Now that the intruder has tripped the silent alarm and alerted me to his/her presence I can confront them from a fortified position inside my home. If I chose to shoot them I would be totally within my rights to do so because they are inside my home uninvited.
Of course there are still windows and other exterior doors that a home invader might choose, but for the sake of this scenario what do you think? Should I leave that front exterior entryway door unlocked at night?
/EDIT
I think I didn't make myself clear or that you are misreading my post.
I am not saying to make a 'intruder lure'. I really do not expect intruders to be coming to my house on a nightly basis, if at all.
This is a security feature to have. Just like you have an extra lock on your door. Just in case.
My police buddies were not literally telling me to drag the person inside. Please don't take that statement literally, I didn't mean it that way. Of course I would never shoot someone outside and drag them inside, of course I know that is a crime.
They were explaining how difficult it can be to defend yourself in your own home and I was trying to relay that to you. It is like the intruder has a right to make crimes against you but you can do nothing to stop them. It really isn't right when you come down to it.
Having two doors is an extra measure of security. Having an alarm is an extra measure of security. Just a simple question about the laws and the rights of the home owner. Being that should the two doors be locked? Should the first one be unlocked? I wonder that if they find the first door locked, will they walk around the house to find and easier way in?
I just am asking for educated answers on protecting my family for 'what-ifs', not for glorified 'shooting fish in a barrel.' Sorry for the misunderstanding.
Before I ask my question let me give you some information that leads me to ask it.
I just realized that such an airlock would also be a good form of home defense. Most people around the world have only one front door. With an airlock entryway I would essentially have two. I could answer the front door while the inner airlock door behind me is locked. This would prevent potential invaders that overpower me (God forbid) from having unobstructed access to the interior of the house and my loved ones.
Most people I speak to (mostly law enforcement) about home invasions say that if you are going to fight an intruder you should kill them so they can't turn around and sue you; and you should drag them back into the house if they staggered outside and died on your porch. They say to drag them in because the law is not on the home owners' side if the intruder dies outside the home.
I have been told of three separate instances where home owners have either shot an intruder and the intruder either died outside the home or escaped wounded. In each case the home owner was prosecuted. They were seen as the suspect in a crime, not the intruder.
With these things in mind here is my question:
If I have that exterior front door set up with a silent alarm that sounds in the bedroom, should I leave that door unlocked at night?
Here's why I ask. A person that wants to get into your home uninvited is not an intruder until they "intrude" into the home. The laws protect him/her from my defensive actions and weapons until they cross the threshold into my home. Simply by opening my exterior front entryway door they have become an intruder. My second, equally protected, interior entryway door is still protecting my home. I am not at a disadvantage because I am still under the same amount of protection as most of the people around the world.
Now that the intruder has tripped the silent alarm and alerted me to his/her presence I can confront them from a fortified position inside my home. If I chose to shoot them I would be totally within my rights to do so because they are inside my home uninvited.
Of course there are still windows and other exterior doors that a home invader might choose, but for the sake of this scenario what do you think? Should I leave that front exterior entryway door unlocked at night?
/EDIT
I think I didn't make myself clear or that you are misreading my post.
I am not saying to make a 'intruder lure'. I really do not expect intruders to be coming to my house on a nightly basis, if at all.
This is a security feature to have. Just like you have an extra lock on your door. Just in case.
My police buddies were not literally telling me to drag the person inside. Please don't take that statement literally, I didn't mean it that way. Of course I would never shoot someone outside and drag them inside, of course I know that is a crime.
They were explaining how difficult it can be to defend yourself in your own home and I was trying to relay that to you. It is like the intruder has a right to make crimes against you but you can do nothing to stop them. It really isn't right when you come down to it.
Having two doors is an extra measure of security. Having an alarm is an extra measure of security. Just a simple question about the laws and the rights of the home owner. Being that should the two doors be locked? Should the first one be unlocked? I wonder that if they find the first door locked, will they walk around the house to find and easier way in?
I just am asking for educated answers on protecting my family for 'what-ifs', not for glorified 'shooting fish in a barrel.' Sorry for the misunderstanding.
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