When it comes to home defense, what immediately jumps into your mind? If it’s “I have a gun, I can handle a home intruder,” then you’re not alone.
However, there is a lot more to home defense than simply use of force or even use of lethal force. Yes, those firearms have a place in your defensive living plan, but they are just a fraction of the whole picture.
If you ask 20+ year law enforcement veteran Austin Davis, if it gets to the point of shooting the bad person (or people!) in a home defense situation, we are way behind the safety curve.
So how do we get ahead of the curve?
It might be tempting to debate handguns vs. shotguns, flashlights vs. weapon lights, or baseball bats vs. golf clubs, but first we must follow a logical flow of home defense. The first step in that flow?
Ensure the bad people don’t pick your home as a target.
And in case a bad actor does pick your home, you want to make sure that you do everything possible to make your home such a difficult target that they move on to an easier one.
Home Defense in Layers
You have a few layers to work with when you are setting up your home to be as secure as possible. The first is the outer layer, which separates the public or semipublic area around your house from your private property. Think of this like a fence you might have serving as a barrier between the street or sidewalk and your yard.
The second layer is your barrier layer, which is made up of all the lights, locks, and alarms you have in place around your home.
Ideally, these first two layers should be enough to deter criminals. But if someone does breach the first two layers to enter your residence, a strong defensive plan will give you time to utilize equipment, training, and tactics to respond effectively.
Interested in learning more about the layered approach to home defense and the steps you can take to secure your home and family? We’ve got an entire course available for Concealed Coalition Members! Join the Coalition today and learn how to best protect what matters most.
