Know who's at your door.

[uspJ]

Most of us take our HD/SD very seriously. We reinforce doors and locks and windows. We have dogs, alarm systems and security lights and motion detector lights. Many generally imagine a threat in our home as a burglar who uses stealth and sneaks in through our defenses, or a home invasion which smashes through with overwheming force.

http://unionrecorder.com/local/x1535826255/Suspect-sketches-in-fatal-shooting-released
A man was killed when he answered the door of his home and was met with gunfire. Police believe drugs/money where motive for the murder.


The link is just a recent example of this type of occurance. I thought I would post this to give everybody something to think about. Most people wouldn't think that the threat they may face would casually walk up to your door, knock and wait for you to answer. None of our defenses make much of a difference when you allow the threat access to you or your home. The threat that may come won't always come with a bump in the night or your door being kicked in, it could come with a knock or the ring of a doorbell.

You don't have to sell drugs or have money to be the target for a criminal. Perhaps you have something they want, perhaps something about your home attracted them. Regardless of what their motive is the threat may not come the way we generally imagine.

 

[Sgt_R]

Years ago, I saw an interview w/ a (thankfully incarcerated) mafia hitman on TV. He said that one of his favorite tactics was to walk up to the door, put a sawn-off shotgun at about chest level, knock and/or ring the doorbell, and wait for the peephole to go dark. Then he'd just pull the trigger, turn around, and walk away.

R

 

[luigi]

I don’t care what time you come to my door, if I don’t know you I don’t answer. I have never had an unknown person come to my door that wasn’t some type of inconvenience or annoyance. Why should I open the door or encourage them?

 

[shockwave]

The front door of my home is flanked by a pair of narrow, 4-inch wide windows with curtains. When I get an unexpected knock, I always look first. One should never open a door "blind" without having any idea who or what is on the other side.

 

[Packman]

He said that one of his favorite tactics was to walk up to the door, put a sawn-off shotgun at about chest level, knock and/or ring the doorbell, and wait for the peephole to go dark. Then he'd just pull the trigger, turn around, and walk away.

They make a little peephole cover to prevent stuff like that. It's a little swiveling plate that lets you keep the hole covered to prevent light showing though. You put you eye up to the hole, move the plate, look and then move it back. No light shows through that way.

I don't have one, but I also don't expect to piss off the mafia anytime soon either...

 

[foghornl]

I have the X-10 cameras on my driveway, w/motion sensors. I KNOW who is at my door before they even get there.

 

[Yarddog]

I've got Motion lights on 180*, If you come at night light will allert me & I can see the door from where I sit ; )
Y/D

 

[ccsniper]

In order to get to my door they have to open my gate. The entire neighborhood knows when someone comes into my yard. The gate is VERY loud and I always get to the small window at eye level before that person is even within 20 feet of my door.

 

[Ben86]

During the day, if I'm home and my cars are parked right in front of my house (making it obvious that someone is home) I expect a would be criminal to use deception and then overwhelming force to gain control of me and my belongings (as opposed to trying to be stealthy in broad daylight). Therefore I expect them to knock on the door. My front door is flanked by windows on either side that I use to look through. My 2 other doors have glass windows without curtains so I can instantly look through them and identify the person on the other side. I never open the door blindly, and teach others not to as well.

I have a neighbor who lives close to the highway and frequently gets requests to use a phone. He wisely takes precautions. Last I heard he hands them a phone through a window (while armed with a handgun). Another neighbor of mine answered the door without opening the outer barred door (luckily) and the scumbag tried to force his way in and was unsuccessful. Don't assume that because they took the time to knock, they don't have malice aforethought.

 

[Manco]

Like some others here my front door is flanked by windows, and I don't answer the door for anybody I don't know or wasn't expecting.

 

[uspJ]

I don't answer the door for anybody I don't know or wasn't expecting.

This is one of the points that got me thinking about this. About a week ago I was expecting my GF to stop by (at the time I hadn't gotten a key made for her.). I had just got out of the shower when the doorbell rang. I tossed on a pair of shorts and went to the door and opened it up expecting to see her, instead I had two people from my home owners insurance who had stopped by to take pictures and where letting me know they would be on my property for a few minutes.

Normally I'm armed even when at home, but in this instance I assumed I knew who was coming and didn't take the time to grab my gun or check who was there. My GF arrived about two minutes after the insurance people had got there. That made me think really hard about how I need to KNOW who is at my door and not who I think is at the door.

This occurance coupled with the link I provided in the OP ( happened about 1 1/2 miles from my home) really got my gears to turning on the subject.

 

[Kleanbore]

Delivery persons, repair contractors, or a neighbor or family member may be expected, but the person who actually shows up and knocks on the door may be someone else altogether.

So--you do have to be able to determine who is at your door.

Equally importantly, you need to know who may be lurking just out of sight and waiting to force himself in when the door is opened.

So, the questions are, from where, and how well, can you see the area outside your door without opening the door, and can you communicate the person or persons outside to identify them when the door and storm door are locked?

 

[Sgt.Saputo]

I can see who's at my door without being anywhere near it. If I don't know who they are I don't answer. If it's important they can leave me a note.

 

[Manco]

Delivery persons, repair contractors, or a neighbor or family member may be expected, but the person who actually shows up and knocks on the door may be someone else altogether.

Just to clarify my earlier statement, I'll answer the door for anybody that I know regardless of whether I'm expecting them, but only for strangers when I am expecting them and can reasonably identify whether they are who I think they are. Having exactly the right uniform and/or marked vehicle outside certainly helps, but I'd still take precautions. When no such identifying attributes are involved (e.g. a home insurance adjuster recently came over, which was a planned meeting, of course), I'd at least size them up by how they dress and behave to the best of my ability and life experience before answering the door. Some random weirdo dressed in "gangsta" clothing and looking around anxiously is not going to be spoken to, much less welcomed into my home. Yeah, I'm profiling. What of it?

So--you do have to be able to determine who is at your door.

Equally importantly, you need to know who may be lurking just out of sight and waiting to force himself in when the door is opened.

That's absolutely right. We should always be ready to react quickly to such an attack in case we couldn't avoid it altogether. Unfortunately, it is easy to hide right around a corner in front of my garage, which is attached to the front of my house. I probably should install cameras, but my door answering policy has always been sufficient.

The only situation that I currently can't handle quite well enough by my standards is the old "Help, somebody is trying to kill me!" ruse. The thing is, when I was younger (and living in a somewhat rough neighborhood) I really did help somebody in distress once, and when I think of what could have happened to her (she was already lacerated and bleeding as it was), even though I didn't know her, I just can't stomach the idea of turning some other person away if they really needed help. Obviously, being able to spot a fake is crucial in such cases, and I have turned away suspicious-looking people asking to use my phone because of a supposed emergency (this was before cell phones became ubiquitous). I just wasn't sure whether they were telling the truth, and most of them spoke kind of forcefully anyway, which I don't take to kindly.

I guess I should just "bite the bullet" and install some cameras for all-around surveillance and start carrying around the house. Or since the area around my front door is well sheltered from the elements and a convenient outdoor electrical outlet is available there, maybe I could permanently leave a spare deactivated cell phone near my door for emergency 911 use by anybody (by federal law, such phones can still be used for 911 calls).

So, the questions are, from where, and how well, can you see the area outside your door without opening the door,

I can surreptitiously view anybody standing in front of my door from both sides clearly through small holes in my Venetian blinds, although I may have to move around a bit to see their whole body.

and can you communicate the person or persons outside to identify them when the door and storm door are locked?

If I find some reason to speak to somebody that I don't know, I can open my wooden door and speak to them through my steel security door's perforated metal screen. It won't stop a bullet, so I still have to be alert and careful, but it will prevent bad guys from forcing entry rapidly. Not that I want any of my neighbors to be robbed or killed by any means, but if I were the bad guys I'd pick a softer target, because if they can get through my doors (every entryway has a steel security door with a commercial bump- and pick-resistant deadbolt, in addition to a reinforced solid inner door) or windows (every window is double-paned and backed by security film with bonded edges), they'll have to deal with incoming lead, which is even worse.

 

[leadcounsel]

Simple -

Either look through a window that isn't near the door (of course one that overlooks the door), or simply say "who is it?" from someplace inside the home.

 

[Ben86]

Does anyone automatically open the door for persons on the other side describing themselves as the police, or do you also visually verify that first?

 

[Packman]

Does anyone automatically open the door for persons on the other side describing themselves as the police, or do you also visually verify that first?

Oh heck no. If they say it's the police, then I'll check through the peephole for uniforms. Then, if that checks out, I throw the little security bar so the door only opens a couple inches. Will that hold it if they kick though? Probably not, but it's a start. I'll back it with my foot. Now we can talk, and determine why exactly the police are knocking at my door.

I don't want the door all the way open for a couple reasons: One, it might make it just a little harder for them to get in by force. Two, it drastically reduces what they can see of the inside of my home.

Now, have the police ever knocked on my door? No, but this is my plan for people whom I don't expect in general.

 

[vynx]

I have a double front door and each door has big (about 3 foot) oval windows (triple pane with caning in the middle piece) so I can already see whoever is at the front door.

Can you tell that I'm married and my wife wanted "pretty" front doors?

My yard is fenced though and I do lock the front gate. The locking mailbox and doorbell are at the gate by the sidewalk so if someone jumps the gate and knocks on my door I answer with a gun in my hand (out of sight behind my back).

 

[rtpzwms]

I have two video cameras, one mounted on each side of the door looking out so no one can hide. I can view either of them from panels in the kitchen or the master bedroom or any TV in the house. So I can decide on what type of response is needed long before I even head to the doors. The doors have large clear panels in them that anyone can look through. We have curtains on the doors that make it a little harder to look into the house. Even if you do look in all you'll see is a living room with sofa and chairs and some steps leading upstairs. Nothing worth stealing.

 

[vynx]

I've been looking at the camera systems that costco sells - I just wonder how much/hard they would be to install and what if the theives steal the unit they save the pictures to?

I'm more concerned about theft when no one is home.

 

[W.E.G.]

Honey,... see who's at the door.....

 

[Shovelhead]

I have a large "Bay" window on the front wall that overlooks the front porch/door.
Amazing, but when I'm standing there, looking at the person who is knocking on my front door, they never look sideways at the window..........even my neighbors, they just stand there,.... staring at the door.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

A man was killed when he answered the door of his home and was met with gunfire. Police believe drugs/money where motive for the murder.

Don't use or deal illegal drugs, and you will vastly reduce your chances of this kind of attack.

 

[4thPointOfContact]

Does anyone automatically open the door for persons on the other side describing themselves as the police, or do you also visually verify that first?

Yeah, my aged mother that I'm assisting does. Until I moved in, she didn't even have a peephole. Now there's a peephole and a camera that ties into the computer that acts as the television (tv tuner cards are great).

 

[uspJ]

Don't use or deal illegal drugs, and you will vastly reduce your chances of this kind of attack.

That goes without saying.

I used that as an example to illustrate how easily you can make yourself vulnerable. That could just as easily have been a home invasion, rapist, or murderer looking for easy prey. As I said before most people do not expect a knock at a door to come from someone with ill intent.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/station/a..._Involving_Fake_Utility_Workers_New_York.html

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=6329893

just a few more examples.