"Homeowner is armed" sign

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Advertising the fact that there are guns in the house is not wise, for all of the reasons mentioned above. (Primarily that it makes you a target for burglary.) But in this day of polarized politics, it might also make you a target for vandalism, or for more subtle forms of "doxxing." A perfect analogy is open carrying. You make such a statement, you draw pushback. Not to mention that it also puts you at a tactical disadvantage.

This was the first thing I thought. A crazy seeking revenge would possibly be more prepared when he attacks you because the signs have indicated that you are prepared for a fight.
 
i'm ok with some signs, but the more pertinent point is that your proposed sign would not in any way address the problem you stated in the OP.
 
Such signs are not on my property or home, and I don't recommend them. Common security company signs seem fine to me where they don't seem out of place.

Having been in the Electronic Security Business for over 3 decades and a Regional Manager for Residential, Commercial and Industrial security. I most definitely use a yard sign in the Front of my house and Rear of the house. I also have Video Surveillance signs posted. Burglars do not want to get caught. Period. They want easy targets like all predators. No, no nonsense like I have a gun crap. All that means is you do not have modern technology and that gun is useless when you are away. Maybe even left it at home which the Bad Guy is hoping. Not to mention putting yourself under Scrutiny with the law if some thing bad were to happen.
 
Having been in the Electronic Security Business for over 3 decades and a Regional Manager for Residential, Commercial and Industrial security. I most definitely use a yard sign in the Front of my house and Rear of the house. I also have Video Surveillance signs posted. Burglars do not want to get caught. Period. They want easy targets like all predators. No, no nonsense like I have a gun crap. All that means is you do not have modern technology and that gun is useless when you are away. Maybe even left it at home which the Bad Guy is hoping. Not to mention putting yourself under Scrutiny with the law if some thing bad were to happen.
I have both yard signs and "house under video surveillance" signs.
 
I just added Beware of Dog signs to my two gates so the lawn guys and other contractors know to ring the front door first so I can bring her in the house. I don't even have any gun/NRA/Buckmark decals or the like on any of my vehicles
 
I don't think they have all that much impact as a deterrence.

First of all, most crimes, especially breaking and entering, are crimes of opportunity. Criminals intentionally pick out targets which appear easy.

B&E typically is planned around times when they're sure the home is unoccupied. If the home is unoccupied, then it doesn't matter if you're armed or not.

If it's an out and out attack, like with your neighbor, they likely won't care, expecting surprise and violence to carry the day for them.

So a sign really doesn't mean much in this light.

Given this, any potential benefits of such a sign is likely to be simply offset by advertising the possible presence of firearms to be gained in your absence.
 
All, Last weekend a maniac shot up the house next to me at 4 in the morning. He was out to get his own nephew, and when he drove into the cul de sac, he initially came up MY driveway first, 'cause he had the address wrong! I am making some security changes at my house, and I bought some decals that say "Warning! Homeowner is Armed." My brother mentioned this could actually encourage thieves to break in, in search of those guns (to steal). Do you all think that sign would deter crime, or invite it?

Thanks.

This has got to be one of the worst ideas I've heard on THR
 
I know a lot of people with security company signs up that don't have security systems. I'm sure burglars are aware of that.

I never understood why you'd advertise a security system anyway. Seems to me it would be more effective if a potential intruder didn't know it was there until it went off.

As cool as it would be to be able to catch every criminal, it is more effective for me to never have them consider my house to begin with.

So ideally, they keep moving and look for a target that seems easier.
 
I think a faux security company sign would be a better idea....just to name one idea in a long, long line of better ideas.
A long time ago I was the night cashier in a self-service gas station. (This was before all gas stations were self-service.) I sat in a little booth with a push-out drawer to collect money and credit cards.

We had signage saying that the glass in the booth was bulletproof and that the entire place was under video surveillance. The cameras were fake -- cardboard and plastic, connected to nothing. I had no way of testing the glass, but I decided that if somebody pulled a gun on me, I was going to give them all the money.

That said, I don't see any harm in a fake security company sign. Might not help, but it couldn't hurt.
 
Taliv speaks forTHR.

The idea is not a good one, and those of us who have discussed such matters among ourselves and with well-known experts know that--now.

But we didn't always understand that.

The OP was not a bat question.

We hope we have been of help.

Grampster's advice is very good.
 
Went by a property once that said "Owner Walked the Property with a 12 Gauge Shotgun, Three Nights a Week, You Figure Out Which Three" - Cute but probably did nothing.
 
Went by a property once that said "Owner Walked the Property with a 12 Gauge Shotgun, Three Nights a Week, You Figure Out Which Three" - Cute but probably did nothing.
To me those signs are worse than “nothing”.
You know what they say about assumptions but id assume only unserious people would hang such a sign. If I had nefarious intent I’d be more likely rather than less likely to mess with him
 
As cool as it would be to be able to catch every criminal, it is more effective for me to never have them consider my house to begin with.

So ideally, they keep moving and look for a target that seems easier.

The problem is; I don't think those signs have any affect on how they view a target. My father owned a small drywall contracting business. He had an alarm and signs up, still got broken into. The local ne'er do wells would come by every couple of weeks and rattle the doors to set the alarm off, then time the police response and come back later knowing how much time they had before the police might show up. So as far as I'm concerned alarms and signs are generally useless.
 
guy just outside my neighborhood put up a sign on his side fence gate "No Trespassing. Violators will be shot! and I double-tap." I just can't see that helping him in court, at all.

No lame signs. No threats.
 
My whole attitude with respect to firearms is that no one should have any idea I have firearms, period.
Yes, unfortunately it has come to that. When I was growing up (in the 1950's, in Texas), people were proud of their guns, to the point where they had them on display in glass-front cabinets, in their living rooms. (These were what we would now call "Fudd guns.") I doubt that we will ever be able to go back to those days.
 
The problem is; I don't think those signs have any affect on how they view a target. My father owned a small drywall contracting business. He had an alarm and signs up, still got broken into. The local ne'er do wells would come by every couple of weeks and rattle the doors to set the alarm off, then time the police response and come back later knowing how much time they had before the police might show up. So as far as I'm concerned alarms and signs are generally useless.

While I don’t dispute that and it is a reasonable enough analysis, if police showed up to my house a time or two, my neighbors attention would be drawn. These days with door cams, that might not be the best idea for perps.

Whose to say really. I’m sure there are many techniques that work for one and not another. My house is in a good neighborhood but it is close to a bad neighborhood. It’s the type of house that looks like if you put a bunch of work into it then you would have a piece of crap. Maybe that keeps them out.

Or maybe it’s the constant noise of chainsaws.
 
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