Category Archives: Property Security

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The Detroit bankruptcy filing shows that if something cannot go on forever, it will stop.  Some acted surprised but this has been years in the making given the toxic combination of corruption coupled with lavish spending the city has engaged in for over a half century.  Decisions have consequences and math has finally trumped politics in Motown.  Sure, some will fight it but the reality is, Detroit can’t meet its financial obligations and its debts will have to be reorganized in Bankruptcy Court.  It won’t be the last city to enter Chapter 9 either, that much is a given.

Guess my predictions proved prescient.

City finances can impact crucial services like Fire and Police, which are being stretched to the breaking point by arson and crime.  Old equipment and poor maintenance contribute to slow response times, which endanger both lives and property.  As the Detroit Free Press reports:

The Fire Department’s average time is 7 minutes, and EMS’s response time is 15 minutes. That’s partly due to old trucks and ambulances that are poorly maintained combined with a never-ending string of incidents. Detroit has had between 11,000 to 12,000 fires every year for the past decade, and firefighters have been responding with “junk” equipment, according to an unnamed fire captain in Orr’s report.

If that wasn’t bad enough, 2/3rds(!) of the City’s ambulances are out of service.

Now Detroit may be an extreme example of municipal dysfunction but many of the same conditions exist in other communities.  Falling tax revenues, higher fuel prices, increasing benefits costs, ballooning pension commitments, and economic stagnation are a fact of life for all cities, counties, and states.  This results in fewer services, at a higher cost, with longer response times for citizens.

So don’t plan on government agencies quickly coming to your aid during an emergency.  Having first aid kits, fire extinguishers, firearms, extra food and water, batteries, flashlights, and KNOWLEDGE will help you help yourself when things go wrong.  Being prepared not only helps you, it also helps your neighbors and community become more resilient.

Take a look at this Steven Crowder video from 2009.

Big Government and Big Unions built that!

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To think that once Detroit was the motor behind the Arsenal of Democracy, now its an example of what municipal bankruptcy looks like.

Credit: Alexander Synaptic

I’ve discussed this before but what is happening in Detroit is a symptom of what is happening in many American cities these days.  It is probably the most extreme example but Motown points to a bleak future for cities that are loosing tax revenue, population, and business while increasing spending on government employees.  The situation has become so bad that bankruptcy is being discussed openly.  My guess is that this will happen, the only question is when.  One thing I can safely predict though is many more cities will declare bankruptcy in the coming months.

Eventually this will mean that cities can get out from under the crushing union contracts, lavish employee benefits, and generous pensions that got them into their fiscal mess in the first place.  However, in the interim city services will suffer and citizens will be left on their own to deal with emergency situations.  In many respects, cities will become wild and dangerous places like some frontier towns were back in the 19th Century.

The solution is to plan on taking care of yourself in emergency situations.  Individuals and communities will supplant municipalities as services decline in the face of continuing economic stagnation.  This will produce greater self-reliance along with strengthening communities, but along the way it will be a rough ride.

Plan accordingly.

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Live in a nice neighborhood?

Is your house in a safe part of town?

Have a lot of wealthy and famous neighbors?

Think you are immune from crime?

Well, if you answered “yes” to any of those questions, you may wish to reassess your assumptions.  After all, the escapades of the “Rock Burglar” should clearly demonstrate that nobody’s house if safe from a determined thief.  Even though he has been convicted and will spend the rest of his life in jail, Robert Neese did have a long run as a thief with some notable victims.

alleged victims include former vice president Dan Quayle and ex-pro baseball players Mark Grace and Steve Finley, is believed to be responsible for about 400 burglaries of luxury homes in the Phoenix area

The takeaway from this is nobody is immune from crime, so plan accordingly.  Assume you are a target no matter where you live or what your financial situation is.  Criminals steal for a living and they will seek out victims, especially ones who are unprepared.

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I’m not just talking about urban blight like this:

Credit: Mojo Steve

I’ve written about how prevailing economic conditions affect government services in places like Detroit.  I have also mentioned how some communities are turning to private and citizen policing to augment their sworn law enforcement members.  One place this is taking place is…Detroit.

In one respect, this is a hopeful sign as citizens take (back) control of their neighborhoods when failed, corrupt governments fall short.  However, it also shows the extent of the problem in many of America’s large cities face.  Declining populations, ruinously lavish government pensions, corrupt political leaders, excessive regulation, and high taxation combine to form a perfect storm of fiscal destruction.  The citizens are the ones left to largely fend for themselves as governments lack the resources to provide essential services.

With this in mind, what are you doing to prepare?  As we see in places like Detroit, governments won’t always be there when you need them.  Time to assert your own independence and take steps to prepare for when things go wrong.

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If purchasing a firearm represents a first step in personal protection, learning how to use it is the logical and necessary second step.  As KC writes:

Owning a gun is just the first step on a journey. Guns are not self-protection talismans that ward off evil-doers all by themselves: You have to have it handy when you need it and you need to be ready, willing and able to defend your life and your loved one’s lives, if, God forbid, the need to do so arises.

Where does one start though?  As a relatively new gun owner, I would suggest you give these folks a look.

You can read about it here but I also recommend you bookmark them and regularly visit their site.  They have a lot of good information that focuses on firearms training, personal security, and other preparation-related issues.  I’ve gone shooting with Kevin, Robert, and Jaci so I can personally vouch for their knowledge of firearms-related subjects.  They are good people and are compiling a lot of useful information you can apply.  Check them out, its worth your time.

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In Oakland, CA, private security firms are taking over neighborhood patrols as city services are reduced and crime increases.  Tax revenues can’t keep up with ballooning pension, wage, and healthcare costs so government services get reduced.  This is especially acute in high-tax states like California, but municipalities across the US are feeling the combined affects of lavish benefits coupled with falling revenues.  According to the executive director of the National Association of Security Contractors:

Municipal governments and cities are really getting strapped in terms of their resources, and when a police department cuts 100 officers obviously they are going to respond to less crimes.

The bad news is in many cash-strapped cities, there will be fewer law enforcement resources which could result in increased crime rates.  There will be fewer patrols to deter crime, fewer officers to respond to crime (thereby increasing response times), and fewer staff to investigate crimes.  District Attorneys, Prosecutors, and other Judicial staff are also going to look for ways to reduce their caseload by having fewer trials.  Prisons won’t have room to house more inmates too.  All this paints a bleak picture for the immediate future.

The good news is that some communities are stepping up to fill in the gaps through private policing and other services when governments reduces their commitments.  This is likely to continue but not be widespread, after all hiring private security contractors costs money that not all communities have right now.  It also shows that where there is a market, somebody will step up to serve it.  In other words, there is opportunity even in difficult times.

Rather than relying upon (morally and fiscally) bankrupt governments or moving to exclusive, wealthy neighborhoods, you can take steps now to protect yourself.  As I wrote in a recent post, there are some steps you can take today that will both deter crime and lessen your dependence on local law enforcement.  Consider the following:

  • Get firearms, ammunition, and training
  • Reinforce your external doors with multiple high-quality locks and jamb reinforcement
  • Get an alarm system installed and post signs/stickers indicating that you have done so
  • Install both internal and external lights
  • Secure your windows with locks
  • Install heavy drapes and keep them closed when you aren’t home
  • Get to know your neighbors!

Relying upon over-worked and under-funded law enforcement to protect your and your home is foolish.  The only person you can rely upon to secure your property is…you.  That’s good news because there is a lot you can do that will enhance the safety of your home and deter crime.  Get started now because every step you take is an additional layer of protection that keeps the bad guys away.

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Want to know how to improve your home’s security?  Read this article from No Nonsense Self Defense and begin applying the tips today.

The twenty-two home safety tips in that article represent a range of products and practices that will help make your home more secure.  In fact, you may have already applied some of them!  My suggestion is to read through the article a few times and carefully think about which steps you can take in the coming days and weeks.  Many of these tips aren’t very expensive but offer a massive benefit in terms of increasing security.

The takeaway from the post:

The enemies of the burglar are time and attention. The longer it takes to enter and the more noise he makes increase his chances of being seen and caught. Homes not easily and quickly broken into are most often bypassed for easier targets.

Use this information as a guide to preparing your home.  Every layer of security you add to your home makes it more difficult for a criminal to enter it, which deters crime.  See what layers you can start adding and increase your home’s safety.

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What sort of gun should you own?  That’s a simple question with a lot of different answers.  I asked myself this question a few years back as I got ready to purchase my first firearm.  Pistol, rifle, shotgun…which is the best starting point?

You could do a lot worse than this:

This is a Mossberg 500 Tactical, which is a short-barrel 12-gauge pump-action shotgun.  You can find more details by going to the manufacturer’s site or looking up the specs online.  I chose it because its a great tool for home defense, ammunition is readily available, and pump-action shotguns are VERY reliable.  Plus, the adjustable stock and side saddle are great features to have.  It cost me around $400 back in early 2011 and has been a great first firearm.

So why a pump-action shotgun?  Well, its a versatile tool that can be used for home defense, target shooting, or hunting.  Mossberg barrels and accessories for the 500-series are interchangeable and fairly common, so changing a barrel or stock is relatively straightforward and inexpensive.  I can put virtually any 12-gauge round through it too, which isn’t always the case with gas-operated shotguns like the Mossberg 950.

I won’t get into the debate over which is best for home defense, that is another subject for another post.  For me, I have my Mossberg 500 Tactical loaded with 5 rounds of #4 birdshot in a Cruiser Ready configuration (loaded, chamber empty, safety on).  I store it upright on a Gun Grabber Home Defense Quick Release vertical gun rack in my safe room so its ready to go if I ever need it.  I keep five slugs in the side saddle and a box of #4 birdshot within arm’s reach in case I have to reload.

Are there better configurations out there?  I’m sure there are, however for around $500 you can start with the configuration (shotgun, ammunition, and Gun Grabber) I just described.  Remember that preparation is a process and getting your first firearm is just one step in a long journey towards building a useful set of weapons and skills that will be ready when you need them.  I’ll cover firearms safety, education, and best practices in upcoming posts.  For now though, use the information in this post to make an informed decision on purchasing your first firearm.

UPDATE:  Thanks for making this the most popular post on the blog!