A few years ago at Lake Sumter Landing, a man was waiting for a car to back out of a parking space and another car sped into the parking space. The one who was waiting had a concealed pistol with a permit. The two got into a verbal situation and the first guy opens up his jacket and shows the pistol to the second guy. He called 911 and guy 1 ends up in jail on assault with a deadly weapon.

The gunners and the non gunners can debate until the cows come home. Both sides are sincere good people and they have reasonable views and adamant opinions.


I was told that the stand your grand law passed here in Florida because so many people would rent cars after arriving on an airplane and the crooks would recognize the rental cars and the fact that you could not carry a fire arm on an airplane and follow those people and target them.


There are good arguments for both sides, and reasons for the abuse of both opinions.


I try to keep an open mind.

What Mike described was someone in his house attempting to rob him.

What you described is called "brandishing" which is not legal.
He was rightfully charged and lost his permit permanently.

But soon in place of brandishing, Florida will have a warning shot. Bullets will be flying everywhere................................

When bullets go up in the air, they come down with enough force to kill someone. I wonder how that will go in the debate procedure.

Not a problem according to the folks from Fairfax, VA.

There is too much hypothesizing and opining about what individuals THINK on the issue.

The subject at hand is self protection IN ONE'S HOME!
First of all know that someone who breaks into your home knowing someone is there is a person to be feared!

All opinions aside until YOU are confronted in such a situation there is no debate.

All the anecdotes are out the window when YOU are the home owner IN the home being violated.
Too many untrained think they need a pistol for home protection. The defense weapon of choice is a shotgun.....like the concept or not. When the perp is breaking into or already in the house.....what a perp will fear and usually flee from is a shotgun.

I can give you first hand experience of such a break in.

Please don't drag the real subject at hand by talking about a friend or family member entering the home!! At 1:30 am, cutting the screen on the window and crow barring the window. What works is announcing one more step and you will shoot them followed by the actuating or sliding the slide on the gun....99% will flee???if they continue then one does what they must do to protect the selves.
If one has the time and the presence of mind you do not have to shoot to kill.

All very east to"debate" until or unless it happens to you.

btk: spot on

I will say that when we had a seminar sponsored by the --------Police Dept. An officer said if you shoot a burglar before he enters the house be sure to drag through the door before we arrive.

This act of violating one's space is very serious stuff and very personal to many people

Those entering your home will go directly to the bedroom.....That is where they will find the cash and jewelry. If you must keep those items in your home then find another room to hide them. Hiding something in your underwear drawer is sure to be found and stolen.

You got a gun????

They do have glass breakage sensors.

Girls! lol

We have all these sensors and I feel much safer with them. As for coming face to face with an intruder, Lord forbid that ever happens, we are prepared.

Are law enforcement from the different counties trying to find commonalities, such as if you were working in a Dr's office and a couple came in and were still waiting, they wouldn't be getting home anytime soon......

If a person discharges a firearm he "owns the bullet" regardless of where it lands. In other words, if you shoot in self defense but miss the intruder in your home and the bullet pierces your neighbor's home ... you are legally responsible.

Thus, if you own a firearm, my advice is a) get the training b) know how to use your weapon and c) don't use it unless you have no other choice. It also helps to be able to hit what you aim at.

Carry a weapon? Buy a security system? I think the best solution is to catch these perps and put them in free housing.

That makes sense to me.

That's one way of dealing with it. However, the opposing view of a friend is: they intentionally leave some inexpensive jewelry and a few hundred dollars in what they hope will be the first place they look. They hope that the crook feels they have all that is to be had from the house and leave. To them, this is preferable to having the crooks ransack their house looking for their hiding place. I tend to agree.

Why not just leave it on the porch with a sign saying "free to a good home"?

The free housing is full. You could rotate them in, but then others would have to be rotated out, which is probably what happened to these particular burglars in the first place. I vote for putting them in public stocks and let the Villagers have the last say.

You know, that would be fitting punishment. We could all tell them how if they worked they wouldn't have to figure out how to take other people's stuff and wouldn't have time for their hobbies, like doing drugs. My kids HATED my lectures. Maybe those creeps didn't have a mom to lecture them. We could fill in the blanks.

Ooooooh, lecturing! I like it! I'd go on and on and on. Suitable punishment, as my kids could tell you.

But, I'm sure by now that your kids have thanked you for the lectures??? Tell us it's so! :)

Mine have kind of hinted at 'thanks Dad", and in their eyes, the perceived wisdom of my lectures seems to be increasing as they get older.

Good Sign
 

The ex Gov. of Minnesota had the following sign over the entrance to his ranch:
"WE DON'T CALL 911"..:bigbow:

I is fairly easy to hook up an IP camera that you can view when way on your phone or iPad. These camera's cost under $100 but without an alarm the would not do much good.
May be the police would get a clear picture of the intruder may be not.

could you give information on where to buy for less then $100

I agree. I have a safe that would be hard to steal or open, but would be a hugh waste of time since there is nothing in it of value to them. In my opinion the best bet is to get an alarm system with window sensors. I had one when living in S.Florida but didn't have it monitered. My thought was when the alarm went off the felon would get out asap. Having the alarm company call the police would be a waste of time and a monthly expense.

break ins
 

Unbeleivable.. thought this to be a place you didnt have to worry about that....

I think that the crooks are reading our posts and gloating.

Perhaps they are gloating tonight...but...THEY WILL BE CAUGHT!

Why did you think that?

The amount of crime in The Villages is minuscule compared to just about any other town of 100,000 people. Use common sense and precautions and you will not have to worry.

It is a safe and wonderful place to live - with beautiful flowers in the roundabouts!

Ha ha! You are cross-referencing threads! Two birds "in" one stone.

I still feel very safe here in TV, although these break-ins are forcing me to be diligent again as I was in big cities. I'm aware of who's around me and my house, I keep all doors locked all day and the 2 schnauzers don't let anyone within 30 feet of this place without alerting me.

If they are primarily stealing jewelry and money,,, that leaves me out... I don't have either!! ;)

Another dead giveaway is to see a car parked in driveway with a sign that says something on the order of "home sitter". I've always told my wife when I see one that those people are away and have hired a sitter and hope someone canvasing the neighborhood doesn't see it.
I think actually that these robberies are happening to people that are living there but not home. If you are gone for the summer you wouldn't leave cash and jewelry there.

I love this response.:a040:

Being from New York burbs and CT respectively, I must have to respectfully, agree to disagree. The amount of crime here in TV, is nowhere as bad as those two states.

I agree they will follow the money if they are professional but most crimes are not professional in reality. there are a lot of smash and grab, type crimes today.

We must as vigilant as possible to secure are homes from unprofessional thieves. Professional thieves will know how to defeat security systems, and nothing will stop them.

Armed violence is another story. IMHO

The world has changed my dear. If home and someone breaks in, I will shoot. Please read the paper and watch the news. People are killed for a pair of sneakers. I rather take the risk. Losing in court is nothing to you or your loved one losing your life. Exactly why I keep a couple loaded .38s around, learned to shoot and practice shooting.

:agree: I would like to think that most of us will be cautious, watch out for each other and use common sense.

IMHO, having loaded guns around could work against you. :eek: