BigT103

On Friday daytime while my wife was at work, our home was burgled and the thieves got away with $1000's of possessions.

We have since bought a Ring doorbell that has a 720p security camera built in and an internal Nest camera, the big question is whether or not my wife should buy a gun as I wont (providing I'm approved at my IR1 interview) be home for another couple of months?

Rete

Didn't your wife have an alarm system in place? What good is a gun if your home is broken into while you are away. And what good is the system you are thinking of putting in if you are away or even if you are at home. Sounds good on paper and on tv advertisements but in reality isn't worth much in the way of prevention is it.

Unless she is trained and fully willing and capable of using the gun, then buying one is not a good idea.

Sorry for the burglary. It is such an emotional occurrence and makes one feel so violated.

SpoogleDrummer

I think the Nest doorbell can alert your phone when someone rings it or if there's motion detected and allows you to respond to the person as if you're in, or in the case of someone forcing entry you can call the police so it's potentially pretty useful.

Rete

Yes, if they are using your door, I suppose it is, as long as you have your phone always at your finger tips. Yikes, what am I saying. Phones are normal hand extensions today for the majority of the world. I still go for the loud siren going off to alert the neighborhood as well as the robber that they are entered a home that as a direct line to the police department.

Octang Frye

Wow. That really sucks. People don't realize the sense of violation and invasion that comes from a burglary.
We've got big dogs but sometimes we're all out for the day and my wife never locks doors.
Time to get one of those doorbells and some cameras.

Lion in Winter

Very sorry to hear about the burglary. Happened to me once when I was living in New York, although I didn't have much to steal really.

No, I didn't buy a gun. Who would I have shot? When? Do you kill someone for stealing a tv or a computer? At what point do you decide to shoot? What is the likelihood of you or your wife getting shot instead when the thief sees you pull a gun? Are you even there when the stealing is happening? Do you know how many accidental shootings of the wrong people occur in this country (clue, it's a lot)?

I still haven't bought a gun. I never will. I've never been burgled again either. I've seen plenty of guns in the hands of teenagers when living in a certain part of Chicago, but they were pointed at each other, not me.

Octang Frye

Some people make the argument about shooting people over a TV. A burglary is the ultimate violation. A person who violates the sanctity of somebody's home deserves whatever is coming to them. There is nothing noble about being a victim. The police are not obligated to protect you or your property, that's even if they show up in time and don't shoot you or your dogs.

WASHINGTON, June 27 - The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the police did not have a constitutional duty to protect a person from harm, even a woman who had obtained a court-issued protective order against a violent husband making an arrest mandatory for a violation.

Guns are used hundreds of thousands of times a year without people pulling the trigger. These instances are called Defensive Gun Uses.
Here's an example of a DGU with video.
https://wreg.com/2018/07/27/woman-fe...-with-shotgun/

The important thing to remember is that guns should never be used to de-escalate a situation. They are the last resort. If you get your gun out, you need to be prepared and willing to use it. Flashing/brandishing a gun is wrong and often illegal. Warning shots are usually illegal and a really bad idea. You can choose to be like the previous poster but for people who don't to be at the whim of someone else, a gun can be a good option. And, as the adage goes, it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

And I made the remark about being shot by police semi-seriously. A lot of LEOs are barely proficient with firearms - and a lot of civilians have more range time and experience.
This happened last year. Australian American woman calls cops with reports of an assault. They show up and shoot her dead.

On July 15, 2017, Justine Ruszczyk, also known as Justine Damond,[2] a 40-year-old Australian-American woman, was shot and killed by Mohamed Noor, a Minneapolis Police Department officer, after she had called 9-1-1 to report the possible assault of a woman in an alley behind her house. Noor was subsequently arrested for murder.

Guindalf

WIthout getting on a political soap-box, which some seem to see it as their right to do at every opportunity...


Owning a gun, in this situation, would have been WORSE than not owning one! There was mno-one there to fire it and all you would have done, is put another illegal firearm on the streets!

You're right to invest in some basic security like motion detectors, cameras, smart doorbells, etc., but potentially arming robbers is not on the cards (and yes, I DO own a gun, but not for that reason!).

Octang Frye

To the poster who alluded to a soap-box:

I didn't say anything political. OP asked about getting a gun. Just gave some info. This is the bit where I say that person need glasses. Or doesn't need glasses. And my dad is bigger than that person's sire.

caretaker

Safe storage is an issue.

Octang Frye

And safes in general. Need to get one. Passports, legal papers, photos, etc.

BenK91

Not hard to buy a safe for a pistol, a biometric one can be purchased from Home Depot and lugged into the floor/wall - thus preventing said thief from taking it.

As above, mine has my green card, passport and other various legal documents in it as well as a firearm.

Very sorry to hear about your house being burglarized. Happened to me many years ago while living in London. We recouped most of the possessions through our insurance but as OF mentioned... It's more the thought of knowing someone has violated your personal space which you work hard for.

dc koop

California is not Florida. There's no "stand your ground law" in this State. If you buy a gun for protection and you shoot an intruder I think you have to show evidence to the police that the Intruder intended you actual physical harm or face some awkward questions afterwards

kimilseung

All the stats I see suggests you are more at risk from having a gun. If there is any hint of depression in the family then a gun is absolutely a no go item.
problem with guns is that to store them safely is to make them hard to access quickly for most people.
If you decide to go the gun route, you have to dedicate a lot of time and practice to being reliably proficient.

BenK91