The Layered Defense

 

The perfect home is one that protects the family from Crime and Severe Weather.  The home should be built with a hidden safe room that includes both an above and a below ground safe room for protection from both threats.  This is the inner most layer of defense and should include an escape route.

 

In order to defend your Castle, you need to employ counter measures that have been used for centuries as well as the latest high tech counter measures that are available on the market today that start with the outer most layer.

 

The Layered Defense consists of rings or "layers" of defense that contain counter measures such as fences, dogs, cameras, lights, locks, weapons, fortified concealed fighting positions, hidden passages, hidden safe rooms and hidden escape routes.

 

The outer most layer of defense, which is the furthest from the defensive position, is that of deterrence.

 

Imagine that a criminal, from a distance, sizes up two homes that are located side by side.  The home to his left or Objective A - looks exactly the same and the one to his right which is Objective B.

 

However, then he notices that Objective A has a fence with a sign on it that says "No Trespassing > Beware of the Dog" and "Smile - you are on Camera!"

 

In his mind, he assesses the situation in an instant he determines that the difference between the two homes (objectives or targets) is that one is a Hard Target and the other appears to be a Soft Target.

 

He will likely decide to probe the Soft Target because the Hard "Hardened" Target is "too much work and risk" as opposed to the soft target that could be as easy as taking candy from a baby.

 

This is the first layer of the defense encountered by the criminal and it will effectively detour him unless he knows for a fact that there is something worth the risk with-in Objective A.

 

The outer Layer of Defense that employs Deterrence should include a Fence with Signs that identify liabilities to the Criminal.  Beware of Dog signs and Posted - No Trespassing signs are important assets that prevent liabilities to the homeowner.

 

For example, in some States if someone enters your open (no fence and not posted) property with out permission and breaks their leg by stepping into a hole or gets bit by your dog, the owner can often be held liable.  So, constructing a fence and posting the property with a No Trespassing Signs and Beware of Dog signs are important. 

 

While protecting property with deadly force is not legal or moral in most cases, keeping the criminal out of your yard will keep him out of your home. This is evident in that once a criminal robs the yard, he then enters the home next.

 

Between the Fence and the secure home itself, which should be locked and well lit at all times > is a layer that in military defensive positions often included booby traps such as pits, razor wire and even motes as well as other obstacles that many of which can not be employed legally today.

 

Booby traps can result in criminal charges being filed against the person who builds them.  Wire obstacles can be useful but can also be dangerous to family members especially children.

 

A mote is one obstacle (water obstacle) that can be employed behind a fence on posted property stating No Trespassing but is often too costly or complicated to build.

 

If one were to build a mote today, while alligators might not be legal, razor wire located just below the surface could be used to stop or repel those trying to cross the obstacle.  You might want to give a warning that is posted at the mote that razor wire is located below the water line unless of course you want to surprise the attacker!

 

The Exterior Defense:  This layer of defense outside of the home consists of a well lighted and locked exterior with surveillance cameras.  Lights with motion censors can be used to illuminate the exterior.  You should ensure that no bushes or vegetation afford criminals the ability to hide (concealment) while probing the defense.  A bush covering a window or door for example is a threat.

 

Dead Bolt locks on all doors and secure locks on the windows create a secure exterior but only if the outer walls are fortified which prevents criminals from simply cutting through a wall in order to gain entry.  Some exterior walls on new homes today can be entered by hand by tearing the siding and insulation off and then squeezing between the studs or by removing one stud.  Most homes today are not built for function - only form.

 

The Interior Home Defense: When a criminal peers through a window or door, he can be detoured by what he sees.  If he sees a camera recording his actions, a flashing alarm system that's armed, a dog or a person who is alert, he may retreat.

 

Within the home the security cameras and alarm system as well as the dogs or guards are visible but there are also invisible counter measures.

 

Fortified Hidden Rooms, Hidden Compartments and Hidden Passages can be used in order to employ the element of surprise.

 

All of these can become fortified fighting positions in which the enemy can be terminated with out the shooter being seen by the criminal.  In the Castle Defenses there were Murder Holes in which the attackers were killed by unseen fighters.

 

Today, any panel in a wall, ceiling or floor can be a "Self Defense Portal!"

 

With fortified hidden passages one can shoot and move unseen from location to location employing sniper techniques to repel, terminate and demoralize the attacker.