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Home Invasions – Prepare Yourself TODAY!

Secure yourself against the chilling reality of home invasions. Thwart their sneaky methods of entry and enjoy a feeling safety and security like no other!

This crime happens when criminals break into your home WHILE you are there and rob you (and your family) of your valuables.

Why would they break in knowing you're inside?

There are usually 2 possible reasons:

1. It's easier to steal what they want without having to worry about household alarms
   
   
2. They actually WANT to terrorize, hurt and possibly kill the people who live in the home, as well as steal their stuff!
   

As scary as this may sound, it's actually quite a common crime in South Africa. Sometimes the terms “home invasions” and “burglaries” are confused.

The difference is that burglaries happen when nobody is at home...

...while home invasions are specifically planned for when the homeowners ARE at home.

That really makes it worthwhile to learn the most common ways that home invasions occur. Armed with this knowledge, you'll be able to avoid becoming a victim.

Time Is On Their Side During Home Invasions

A big part of the danger comes from the fact that once the criminals (usually a group of 3 to 10) have found their way into the home and attacked the homeowners, they have as much time as they want.

If the alarm is disabled and the family is tied up or frightened enough to keep quiet, nobody outside the house is likely to know what is going on.

It may be HOURS before anyone even knows that a crime has been committed. By then the home invaders may have beaten up, tortured, raped or killed the members of the household and already made their escape.

Home invaders gain access to a home in several different ways.

The first way is used when a family is having a party or social gathering in the home. It may be on a weekend afternoon or in the evening.

It's usually quite obvious to anyone passing by the house that there is a party going on. There will be many cars parked in the street outside the house. 

There may also be the sound of laughing, music and drunken conversations.

The owners of the home will often leave the front door or garage door (main entrance to the house) standing wide open, while all the guests are deep inside the house. They may even be on the opposite side of the home by the entertainment area or pool.

The owners may forget to close the door once the visitors are all inside or they may leave it open on purpose to allow latecomers entry to the party.

Whatever the reason, criminals doing home invasions now have an easy way into the home.

Since the owners and their guests are often a little drunk and certainly not aware of the danger, the criminals have the upper hand.

They (almost always a group of 3 - 10 criminals) rush through the open front door with their guns in their hands, yelling and swearing at the party goers.

Once they have terrorized the people into submission and violently dealt with any resistance or "bravery", they usually tie the victims up. This gives them complete control and makes it easier for them to rummage through the house looking for items of value to steal.

They typically focus on finding "the safe" where they hope to be able to get small items of high value. They value firearms, jewellery and cash above most other things they could steal.

They will also often steal the now terrified guest's valuables, such as cell phones, purses, wedding rings and other jewellery. They sometimes use "over the top" or unnecessarily levels of violence while doing so.

The gang may beat up or humiliate the men and sexually harass or even rape the women.

While they are completely terrified, they are unlikely to try any heroic acts that may put the criminals at risk of discovery by neighbours or passersby.

As long as they can keep them from calling for help or escaping, they have complete control and are unlikely to be interrupted.

Access Through A Lonely Window

Another way that they might get into a home is through a window or door on the opposite side of the house to where the people are.

In other words, if they can tell (from the lights and conversation) that the family is in the lounge area of the home, they will move to a part of the house that is farthest away from that room.

If they can find an open window, an unlocked door or a door that they can quietly force open, they will gain access that way.

They might also break a small window to get in if they believe they can do it quietly enough (without the homeowners noticing).

Once they are inside, they quietly move through the house to the room where the family is gathered. When they decide that the time is right to attack, the victims are usually so shocked and surprised that it is easy for the attackers to overpower them.

Using Tricks Or "Ruses"

A third and final way (for this article at least) that home invaders can get into a home is by using a "ruse" or trick to get the home owner to LET them into the home of their own free will.

To do this, one of the attackers rings the doorbell of the home. When someone comes to the door, they make up a story that sounds believable for that particular neighborhood.

One of the most common ruses is simply to tell the owner that they are looking for work. If the homeowner opens the door for them, they suddenly rush in, pushing the owner back with a handgun pointed at them.

The others members of the gang follow the first one in and close the door behind them.

Another ruse they may try is to pretend that they have just been involved in a vehicle accident nearby. They may even have torn clothes and fake "injuries" to appear even more convincing. When the homeowner opens the door or security gate to "help" what he or she believes to be a person in need, they rush in and take over.

Are You Prepared For Home Invasions?

While these scenarios are may be frightening to think about, it is SO important to be aware of the way these crimes actually happen.

Armed with this knowledge, you can take steps to make yourself and your family safer. If you believe (as MANY do) that "ignorance is bliss", you are just making yourself MORE vulnerable to these terrible crimes.

In this case, a little bit of knowledge can go a long way to protecting yourself from the kind of tragedy that can change your life forever! Decide now that you WON'T be a victim.

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